Friday five: the week's top news stories
- Margate restaurant Barletta will close having fallen victim to fraud that saw it lose £50,000. The restaurant, owned by Natalia Ribbe and Jackson Berg, will run its last service on 9 December with a farewell dinner. Last month the pair revealed that they had lost £50,000 to a fraudulent claim with and that, twinned with the rising cost of living, meant that it was no longer viable to keep trading.
- One of the world's largest pizza chains, is returning to UK shores some 22 years after exiting the market. Little Caesars plans to open four new restaurants planned in the coming months with the first restaurant to come next month in Chellaston, Derby. This will be followed by two sites in London and another in Liverpool, which will all launch early next year. The US brand currently has a presence in 27 countries.
- Monthly sales in hospitality are ahead of pre-pandemic levels in London’s West End, according to Shaftesbury. The landlord has reported a sustained recovery in confidence and activity driving growing footfall and spending ahead of 2019 levels. Average monthly sales at its tenants are now 6% ahead of pre-pandemic levels, with sales in hospitality and leisure businesses having also risen by 6%.
- A Basque restaurant and bar that has the croqueta as its signature dish will launch next month from the team behind the Spanish restaurant group Tapas Brindisa. Bar Kroketa will open on Beak Street in London’s Carnaby on the former Bread Ahead site, just off Kingly Court, on 12 December and will be reminiscent of the bars which line the streets of Spain’s towns and cities, according to the group. As its name suggests, the croqueta - the Spanish fried bechamel sauce fritter - will be the bar’s hero dish, with blackboards listing a frequently changing selection.
- BrewDog has lost its B Corp status less than two years after gaining the accreditation. The Scottish brewer and bar owner says it has 'stepped aside' from the certification because it can't meet new measures required for the accreditation by B Lab, which assesses companies seeking B Corp status and monitors member compliance.
