New Moon Pub Company plan two new venues after just six months trading
The pair are hoping to open two new sites by the summer before assessing how the business is progressing.
Both pubs are located in Cheshire in the North West where Newman has worked for a number of years running his own restaurant in Nantwich and previously for Living Ventures, the group behind the Gusto Restaurants and Blackhouse brands.
Talking to BigHospitality, Newman said ambitious plans were being put in place for both venues with refurbishment projects planned: "We treat the kitchen as the engine room of the business because it's got to be absolutely right for what we're trying to do and out of the four or five places we've been looking at at the moment every single one bar one needs a complete new kitchen," he said.
First year turnover to top £1m
The new venues follow the success of The Lord Binning Pub and Kitchen which opened in August 2011 in Kelsall, Cheshire. The bar and restaurant has had a strong first quarter of trading and first year turnover is expected to top £1m.
Newman revealed takings had been three times more than expected during a period in October. The restaurateur and investor said they had managed to succeed in difficult economic times for pubs because all the different aspects of the offering had come together:
He said: "That's what we believe in all the atmospherics, the food quality, the service, the greeting and the choice of products. That's the high maintenance side of what makes it work but it is the reason why a lot of people fail."
Former commis chef to Marco Pierre White
As chef patron, Mooney cooked for Marco Pierre White in September at The Lord Binning who he previously worked with as a commis chef at Harveys in Wandsworth. Before taking on running his own pubs and restaurants Mooney has also served an apprenticeship with Raymond Blanc and ran the kitchen at the Belle Epoque restaurant in Knutsford.
The concept of the New Moon Pub Company is described as 'home from home with a dash of panache'.
