Property Law

Facing up to lessee-tenant profitability

24-Jun-2011 By Phil Dixon

Who's the nearest person in our industry to Richard Branson? I sense that there would be only be two candidates, argues Phil Dixon.

Brett opens 3rd pub in 12 months

24-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

A former Greene King regional manager is to open his third freehold pub in a year this week. Toby Brett, 31, worked for Wadworth's and Greene King...

Planning law changes 'won't save pubs'

23-Jun-2011 By Ewan Turney

Protecting pubs through changes to planning law is "not deliverable", community pubs minister Bob Neill has warned campaigners. However, he has...

TV show for grant-aided pub rescue

23-Jun-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Village pubs doomed for closure are set to receive an extra boost this summer as a BBC television series follows a Wiltshire community group that...

Stonegate and Town & City merge

22-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

Stonegate Pub Company and Town & City Pub Company have merged and will take on the Stonegate name, the PMA understands.

Planning policy could help leisure businesses

22-Jun-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Proposed changes to planning policy should make it easier for leisure-sector businesses to gain planning permission, although a number of barriers...

Franchises: new deal for tenants

21-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

Tenanted pub companies are trialling franchise agreements. The PMA Team takes a look at progress so far.

British Country Inns investors to be given sale decision

16-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

Investors in BCI will be told after its annual general meeting later this month whether its directors think the company should be sold.

2,300 Punch freehold for sale to tenants

16-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

A total of 2,300 Punch licensees will be told by Punch Taverns this month that the company is open to offers from them for their freehold. The pubs...

Pubs help with Queen of Shops review

15-Jun-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Trade groups are sending submissions to the Mary Portas retail review in the hope of encouraging planners to consider pubs.

Wetherspoon scraps Jersey plan

14-Jun-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Managed pub operator JD Wetherspoon has scrapped plans to open its first Channel Islands outlet.

Travelodge targets pubs to develop

13-Jun-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Travelodge has unveiled plans to open 100 small hotels in prime locations by 2020, with former pubs among the properties being sought.

Glendola snaps up bars from Saltire Taverns

10-Jun-2011 By The PMA Team

Glendola Leisure has bought the two Frankenstein bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh from Saltire Taverns, for an undisclosed sum.

Activ gets in the Mood

07-Jun-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

A Newcastle-on-Tyne nightclub formerly run by Cougar Leisure has been bought by Lincolnshire-based Activ Leisure

Stars back Primrose Hill pub in M&B row

07-Jun-2011 By Adam Pescod

A number of celebrities have thrown their weight behind the licensees of a popular Primrose Hill pub, after Mitchells & Butlers announced it...

Former Laurel pubs hit the market

07-Jun-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

A second package of former Laurel Pub Company pubs comprising 21 town centre sites has been placed on the market as freehold investment...

Tally Ho expands to three outlets

07-Jun-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Tally Ho Holdings, the operator of food-led pubs, run by the daughter of broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and her husband, has secured its third site....

Concept Hotel Group collapse

06-Jun-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

The Concept Hotel Group, the Cotswolds-based hotels, restaurants and gastropub operator, has collapsed into administration. The group, acquired by...

BII's call to tied tenants over machine income

02-Jun-2011 By Ewan Turney

The BII has urged tied tenants to be aware of how pubcos are treating machine income in regard to rental negotiations.

Marston's tenants back Retail Agreement

31-May-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Nine out of 10 (93%) Marston's tenants signed up to its new quasi-franchise Retail Agreement would recommend the deal to others.

Young's profits up 7.1%

26-May-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Young's, the London-based pub operator and brewer, has reported a 7.1% rise in annual operating profit for the 53 weeks to 4 April. Operating...

Everards spends £250k on Project William pub

25-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Leicestershire-based brewery Everards has spent £250,000 revamping the Final Whistle in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, which includes a railway...

St Austell's £2m splash on rooms

25-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

South-west family brewery St Austell has invested more than £2m in adding 33 letting rooms to the County Arms in Truro, Cornwall. The new en-suite...

Gillham: beware of rent review pitfalls

24-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Fleurets director Barry Gillham has outlined the major pitfalls to avoid when conducting a rent review. Speaking last week at the launch of the...

Australasia set to open

23-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Living Ventures will open Australasia, its new Pacific Rim pan-Asian casual fine-dining restaurant and bar, in Manchester this month.

Cask Pub and Kitchen rollout

23-May-2011 By The PMA Team

Award-winning licensee Martin Hayes is to expand beyond his Cask Pub and Kitchen pub in London and open the first of what could be a collection of...

Greene King explores national opportunities for Cloverleaf

23-May-2011 By The PMA Team

Greene King is to investigate the potential to turn its Cloverleaf carvery acquisition into a national brand. The company acquired 11 sites in the...

Fears of a property flood are unfounded

20-May-2011 By Neil Morgan

The impression that the pub property market is being or is about to become flooded with tenanted pubs is unfounded, says Neil Morgan.

ALMR's leased pubs worry

20-May-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Leased pubs should not be penalised under the Government's Community Right to Buy scheme, says trade body.

Ex-Realpubs manager to take on lease

20-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

A former general manager for Greene King-owned pub company Realpubs is set to take on a pub operated by ETM Group, the London-based gastropub...

Greene King's franchise set for rollout

19-May-2011 By The PMA Team

Suffolk brewer and retailer Greene King plans to roll-out its new franchise agreement, Blueprint, to 100 sites within its tenanted division in the...

Cavendish to open 7th Wahoo

16-May-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Cavendish Bars is to open its seventh Wahoo venue next Friday (20 May) in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Barracuda to reduce number of Varsity pubs

16-May-2011 By Ewan Turney

Managed operator Barracuda is to reduce the number of its student-focused Varsity venues by 12 to 27. Barracuda is to sell off four sites, re-brand...

Fluid Group launches 10th site

13-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Fluid Group, the Newcastle upon Tyne-based leisure company, is set to launch its 10th site in the north-east and its second under its gastro-pub/deli...

Charles Wells puts six pubs on market

11-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Bedfordshire brewer and pub operator Charles Wells has placed a portfolio of six freeholds on the market. The sale of the pubs is understood to be...

'Right to Buy may not stop pub closures'

09-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Government's Community Right to Buy scheme will do little to save local services such as pubs from closure, warned the British Property Federation.

Faucet buys renowned pub

09-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Faucet Inn has acquired the freehold of the renowned Sir Richard Steele pub in London's Belsize Park off an asking price of £3.75m.

Pub sales market slowed by bank holidays

09-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Pub property agents are blaming the bumper bank holiday weekends and a later Easter for the market stalling in April. This comes as many licensees...

Dowling launches members' clubs chain

09-May-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Frank Dowling, the entrepreneur behind Inc Group, the London-based bar and restaurant group, is launching a chain of members' clubs under new...

Triumph and tragedy in the tenanted trade

05-May-2011 By The PMA Team

The recent sales of Realpubs and Geronimo Inns are great examples of how well the tenanted model can work for entrepreneurs, says The PMA Team.

GVA to acquire Humberts Leisure

04-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Property consultant GVA is set to acquire leisure property agent Humberts Leisure, to form a new leisure firm - GVA Humberts Leisure.

Timothy Taylor in pub re-launch

04-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Yorkshire brewery Timothy Taylor is set to re-open the Town Hall Tavern in Leeds, West Yorkshire, next month following its revamp into a gastropub....

Wetherspoon hits 800-site milestone

03-May-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Managed pub operator JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has reached the milestone of 800 venues following the opening of its 19th pub-hotel last week.

Gastro future for former Archers brewery

03-May-2011 By Ewan Turney

The former Archers Brewery in Swindon is to undergo a £1.5m transformation and re-open as a gastropub complete with microbrewery. Archers went into...

Pub restaurants at new Premier sites

27-Apr-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Whitbread plans to open a Beefeater Grill and a Brewers Fayre at its two new Premier Inn sites in the coastal resorts of Weymouth and Weston-super-Mare.

Pubs sought for hostel profit 'bunk-up'

20-Apr-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Journeys Hostels, the hostel operator, is looking for 15 to 20 pubs to take on its franchises and add a hostel operation to their business in 2011....