MA Leaders Club

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BrewDog reveals future for its bars

07-May-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Scottish brewer and operator BrewDog has announced its initial approach to reopening its bars, subject to official guidance from the Government.

#UnitedWeStand

68% of pubs need furlough beyond June to survive

07-May-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

More than two thirds of pub bosses asked in a snapshot poll of hospitality industry leaders have said furlough will need to be in place for longer to ensure the sector’s survival.

#UnitedWeStand

Weak consumer confidence post-lockdown ‘big concern’ for pubs

07-May-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

More than half of hospitality bosses quizzed in a snapshot poll have said a drop in consumer confidence post-lockdown would be one of the biggest impacts on maintaining a profitable business.

MA500

MA500 goes digital

05-May-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

With the unprecedented shutdown of society ongoing, The Morning Advertiser is striving to find new ways to keep our readership informed and head of the game wherever possible, and the MA500 is no exception.

#Unitedwestand

‘Insurance companies have been a disgrace’

05-May-2020 By Ed Bedington

Insurance has been the biggest headache for operator Neil McDonnell of Hickory’s Smokehouse in Chester. He told The Morning Advertiser how he was dealing with the issue when we visited him.

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Funding reform will boost opportunity for operators

30-Apr-2020 By Ed Bedington

There will be opportunities for pubs coming out of the coronavirus crisis, but it is going to be tough, according to one leading multiple operator.

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Bath Pub Company boss ‘optimistic about the long term’

24-Apr-2020 By Emily Hawkins

The founder of a pubco has described the “galling” experience of his sites not being eligible for any Government grants.

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NewRiver directors donate 20% of salary to food bank charity

23-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

The owner of Hawthorn Leisure, NewRiver REIT, has announced that its directors will donate one fifth of their salary to the Trussell Trust over the next three months.

#Unitedwestand

Loungers eyes post-lockdown expansion after raising £8.3m through share placings

23-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

After placing more than 9m ordinary shares and negotiating new credit facilities, Loungers – the operator behind the Lounge and Cosy Club brands – believes it has sufficient capital to weather the Covid-19 crisis.

NWTC appoints new CEO as Chris Hill steps down

20-Apr-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The New World Trading Company (NWTC) has appointed Danish bakery group boss Jesper Friis as its new chief executive, replacing Chris Hill.

#Unitedwestand

Chestnut to deliver 10,000 free meals to front-line NHS staff

17-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

East Anglian pub operator Chestnut has joined forces with Food4Heroes to provide free meals to the region’s front-line NHS staff during the Covid-19 emergency.

#Unitedwestand

Revolution furloughs 98% of staff and halves directors’ salaries

14-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

Nationwide bar operator Revolution Bars Group has taken a number of steps to ‘secure the future’ of its business amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Urban big on expansion but there’s time for fun

06-Apr-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Six years ago, Nick Pring and Malcolm Heap started Urban Pubs & Bars and, since then, expansion has been the name of the game but fun is also always on the cards.

#Unitedwestand

Beds & Bars to house stranded staff at UK hostels

02-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

Operator of hostels, bars and pubs across 10 cities in seven countries – Beds & Bars – has launched LoveHouse, a scheme guaranteeing staff a roof over their head during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Chestnut to donate takeaway revenue to the NHS

02-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

The founder of East Anglia-based operator Chestnut, Philip Turner, has vowed to donate takeaway revenue from its 11-strong pub estate to the NHS during the Covid-19 shutdown.

#Unitedwestand

Peach rules out staff cuts as directors forgo salary

01-Apr-2020 By Stuart Stone

Peach Pub Company has assured staff there will be no job cuts across its 19 sites during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – with company directors surrendering their salaries until pubs reopen.

#Unitedwestand

£15m City Pub Group share offer to offset coronavirus impact

27-Mar-2020 By Stuart Stone

City Pub Group has revealed that it has raised £15m from the successful placing of 30,000,000 new ordinary shares today (27 March).

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‘People and cash flow will get us through’

26-Mar-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

A focus on the team and cash flow is how North Bar/North Brewing Co is weathering the storm of Covid-19, co-founder Christian Townsley told The Morning Advertiser.

#UnitedWeStand

‘I wait, still, with baited, extremely nervous, sleepless breath’

20-Mar-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Pub owners are desperately waiting for the Government to step in with wage support, otherwise thousands more staff will lose their jobs.

Revolution Bars to ‘resume site expansion’

26-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Revolution Bars Group has registered a 3.5% increase in revenue for the six months to 28 December 2019 as it prepares to resume expansion plans.

Arc Inspirations makes double appointment

25-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Premium bar operator Arc Inspirations has appointed Laura Lewis as its new head of marketing and Tim Knockton as financial director in the hope of building on the ‘most successful year in the company’s history’.

Roseacre aiming to double in size – but don’t want to be ‘massive’

17-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Michael Thomas, founder of Midlands-based Roseacre Pub Company, says he looks at three or four sites per week in an effort to grow his budding pubco.

MA500

Don’t rum before you can walk – lessons from gin boom can boost rum sales

14-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Bacardi UK’s marketing manager Marie Peyto told operators at MA500 London how mastering rum basics can help them make the most of gin’s nearest challenger.

MA500

Choosing the wrong sites is a big mistake operators make

13-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators looking to expand their business need to ensure they have done enough research into areas and venues, delegates at today’s (13 February) MA500 conference heard.

MA500

How to be a pub peacemaker

13-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

CPL Online director of learning and education Martin Hilton shared how publicans can turn their staff into an effective peacekeeping force and steer customers off the warpath with a handful of conflict resolution tips.

MA500

‘Selling one more coffee per day can add £800 to your annual revenue’

13-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

UCC Coffee UK & Ireland’s head of coffee excellence Gareth Davies’s hot take is that operators should beware of ‘cool baristas speaking in riddles’ and focus on nailing the basics.

Big interview

On-trade sustainability has got to be about more than just plastic straws and vegan dishes

11-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

The Morning Advertiser stopped by No.35 Mackenzie Walk in London’s Canary Wharf for a cup of tea, glass of wonky cucumber water, and a chat about the evolution of Darwin & Wallace with managing director Mel Marriott

Blind Tiger expands leased estate to 18 sites

11-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Multi-site operator Blind Tiger Inns has taken on the leases of three additional pubs, bringing its total number of sites to 18.

The birth and progression of Blind Tiger Inns

10-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Three years ago, Chris Tulloch took the opportunity to inject passion, love and enthusiasm into a small batch of pubs. Here, he tells us more about Blind Tiger Inns

Award-winning venues on the MA500 London study tour

07-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The MA500 crowd will be seeing the sights of the capital this month (13 February) after hearing from inspiring operators and experts in London

'Our aim is to open at least 15 to 20 new sites over the next three years'

05-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Expansion is never far from the minds of the team at Brasserie Bar Co – and it will be looking to move past its current total of 20 UK sites soon.

Liberation Group year sales up

04-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Jersey-based pub company the Liberation Group has reported like-for-like growth of 3.6% for the full year across its managed pubs estate.

Tenanted estate remains Robinsons’ ‘bedrock’ despite managed business growth

29-Jan-2020 By Stuart Stone

Notwithstanding a recent acquisition boosting its managed estate by almost 50%, William Robinson, managing director of the pubs division at Robinsons, stresses that the operator is pursuing a ‘twin-track approach’.

Wells & Co turnover increases to £53m amid ‘ongoing investment’

29-Jan-2020 By Stuart Stone

Fifth-generation family brewer and pub operator Wells & Co has revealed a £10m year-on-year increase in turnover from the £43m recorded in 2018.

‘Food was playing a bigger part in pubs - I don’t think the large companies got it’

24-Jan-2020 By Noella Pio Kivlehan

The Black Dog Pub Company’s owner and founder Paul Graham sees good-quality food not only as the future of his business, but the industry as a whole.

Hawthorn Leisure to integrate Bravo Inns portfolio by 1 April

22-Jan-2020 By Stuart Stone

Discussing the financial performance of NewRiver REIT’s pub arm, Hawthorn Leisure, over the nine months to 31 December, CEO Mark Davies revealed plans to retain and invest in the Bravo Inns brand.

City Pub Group subdued results down to ‘political uncertainty’

13-Jan-2020 By Emily Hawkins

The City Pub Group has warned its profits have been hit by a cocktail of external factors, including consumer uncertainty about politics and bad weather at the tail end of the year.

Fugitive Motel goes dry

10-Jan-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

London’s Fugitive Motel is celebrating low and no-alcohol by going dry for one night only this month (Saturday 18 January).

Sales rise for Urban Village

10-Jan-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

South-east-based Urban Village Pub Company has reported like-for-like sales growth of 13.1% for the five-week festive period in December.

MA500

MA500 in 2019: a year of insights and networking

09-Jan-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

We take a look back at what 2019 has brought for the exclusive MA500 crowd – a collection of multiple site operators, hungry for advice and inspiration from peers.

Roxy Leisure seeks nationwide expansion after £7.5m investment

09-Jan-2020 By Stuart Stone

The operator behind the Roxy Ball Room and Roxy Lanes concepts has secured £7.5m worth of investment from infrastructure and private equity investment firm Foresight Group.