Fine Dining

How to maximise your drinks sales: soft drinks

24-Aug-2010 By Chris Druce

Alcohol sales in the on-trade are on the slide, but the soft drinks category continues to go from strength-to-strength. So whether you’re running a bar, restaurant or hotel you need to make sure your soft drink offer has plenty of fizz.

Hooters to open in Cardiff, Brighton and Bristol

24-Aug-2010 By Natasha Devan

American restaurant chain Hooters, known for its female waitresses, has received permission to open a site in Cardiff and has filed applications to open sites in both Brighton and Bristol

Smithfields’ Vinoteca to open second restaurant in Marylebone

24-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Smithfields wine bar and restaurant Vinoteca is to open its second site in Marylebone, London later this autumn

Merlin to build new hotel for Legoland Windsor

23-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Merlin Entertainments has announced it is to build a new £18.5m hotel next to its Legoland theme park in Windsor

Ask the Experts: How can I motivate my staff on the cheap?

23-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

BigHospitality puts one reader's question about how to motivate their staff without monetary reward to Alan Cutler of Hospitality Leadership, in our bi-monthly advice feature Ask the Experts.

Pub closures blamed on consumer shift to ‘continental eating’

23-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

A new café or restaurant will open for every pub or bar that closes over the next three years, as consumers adopt a more ‘European’ lifestyle

How to maximise your drink sales: the perfect serve

23-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Money made from drinks in food-led operations should account for 30-50 per cent of your total revenue, but even though consumers are now seeking cheaper options, there are a few tricks you can use to help your drinks offering fight back.

Battersea’s Rafayel hotel damaged by fire

20-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Over 120 people were evacuated from eco-friendly hotel Rafayel in Battersea yesterday, following a fire in the basement carpark

Jazz dinners at 1 Lombard Street and The Bakery at Pennyhill Park

20-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including 1 Lombard Street and Pennyhill Park Hotel tell us about the extra activities they're planning to attract customers

Pearls of Wisdom: David Myers

20-Aug-2010 By Chris Druce

David Myers is chief executive of Sleeperz Hotels, which last month secured £7m in funding to build a second hotel in Newcastle as it looks to become a nationwide chain

Mitchells & Butlers sells non-core pub package in £373m deal

20-Aug-2010 By Martyn Leek

Mitchells & Butlers, the managed pub operator, has sold 333 of its non-core pubs for £373m to Stonegate Pub Company, a new vehicle backed by TDR Capital, the private equity firm.

Hotel failure rate falls but mood amongst operators remains gloomy

19-Aug-2010 By Chris Druce

The hotel failure rate fell in July but separate research suggests hospitality operators remain gloomy about their near-term prospects

Time Out announces finalists for 2010 London Eating & Drinking Awards

19-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Time Out London has announced the shortlisted restaurants and bars in its annual Eating & Drinking Awards 2010

Marco Pierre White and John Benson Smith to open Man City cafe

17-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Marco Pierre White has teamed up with celebrity chef John Benson Smith and Manchester City FC to launch a new café at City Square this month

Wiltshire’s Cricklade Hotel sold to Ambienza Hotels

17-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Cricklade Hotel & Country Club in Wiltshire has been sold to Ambienza Hotels, operator of the Cotswolds88hotel in Gloucestershire, for an undisclosed sum

Michelin-starred chefs team up for London Restaurant Festival lunches

16-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

A line-up of Michelin-starred chefs including Raymond Blanc and Bruno Loubet will collaborate to serve ten Sunday lunches as part of the London Restaurant Festival 2010

Brasserie Blanc set to make entry into pub market this week

16-Aug-2010 By Martyn Leek

Mark Derry, the entrepreneur behind Loch Fyne, has described Brasserie Blanc’s entry into the pub market as a 'watershed moment' for the company

Jun Tanaka and Mark Jankel launch mobile Street Kitchen

13-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Pearl chef Jun Tanaka and Mark Jankel, chef and founder of The Food Initiative, will launch a mobile Street Kitchen as part of the London Food Festival this October

After hours with... Jayke Mangion

13-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Taking the decision to leave his position as operations manager at successful bar and restaurant group Rising Star Leisure, Jayke Mangion opened his first solo venture, Entrée, in Battersea Rise just seven weeks ago

Ottolenghi takes flagship Soho site

13-Aug-2010 By Mark Stretton

The group behind Ottolenghi, the upmarket vegetarian deli shop-meets-café concept, has acquired the Club Bar & Dining venue in London’s Soho from Simon Jordan, the former owner of Crystal Palace Football Club

Michelin-starred takeaway wraps from Benares and private karaoke in Paradise

13-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including Benares and Paradise by way of Kensal Green, tell us about the extra activities they're planning to attract customers

The Hotel and Extreme Academy and Grand Central Hotel appointments

12-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Hotel and Extreme Academy at Watergate Bay in Cornwall, and the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow have both appointed new executive chefs

Conran-designed boutique hotel launches in Cambridge

12-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

An independently owned boutique hotel whose top two floors are made entirely of glass, is to open in Cambridge’s Quayside area this month

Behind-the-scenes at St. Martin's Courtyard

11-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

We look at how the restaurants at St. Martin's Courtyard, London's newest dining destination, are operating, and how they expect to trade once the area opens to the public

Blumenthal and Ramsay top Good Food Guide restaurant list once more

11-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay have once again topped the Which? Good Food Guide’s Top 60 list of the UK’s best restaurants

Gary Rhodes parts ways with Harbour Hotels

10-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Harbour Hotels has ended its relationship with celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, closing its Rhodes South restaurant at Christchurch Harbour Hotel in Dorset

Business Profile: Dogs

09-Aug-2010 By Joe Lutrario

David Ramsden, chief executive of the Edinburgh-based Dogs restaurant group, on making the transition from fine to casual dining, finely tuned margins and ambitious expansion plans

Food prices to soar following Russian wheat ban

06-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Food prices are set to soar in the UK after Russian Prime Minister Valdimir Putin yesterday banned the exportation of wheat following a severe drought

Game gone Thai at Mango Tree and Hunters Menu at Corrigan's Mayfair

06-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including Mango Tree and Corrigan's Mayfair tell us about the extra activities they're planning to promote the Glorious Twelfth and game season

Thistle Hotels and Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton appointments

06-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Thistle Hotels has appointed a renowned executive chef for its Glasgow property, while Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton in London appoints a general manager

Pearls of Wisdom: Paul Kitching

06-Aug-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Paul Kitching opened the Edinburgh-based restaurant-with-rooms, 21212, two years ago, winning a Michelin star just eight months later

Oliver Rowe closes Konstam at The Prince Albert

03-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Oliver Rowe has closed his restaurant Konstam at The Prince Albert, blaming the ‘unsettled economic climate’

National Chef of the Year 2010 semi-finalists announced

02-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Craft Guild of Chefs has announced the semi-finalists who will compete in the next round of the 2010 National Chef of the Year competition

Belgique cafe to open 11th site at London's Canary Wharf

02-Aug-2010 By Chris Druce

Continental style bakery and delicatessen Belgique café is to open its 11th outlet in London’s Canary Wharf

Gordon Ramsay's Maze Cape Town restaurant closes

30-Jul-2010 By Chris Druce

Maze Cape Town has ceased operation after resort owner One & Only ended its relationship with Gordon Ramsay Holdings

New managing directors at Bumpkin and The Rocco Forte Collection

30-Jul-2010 By Chris Druce

Ignite Group, owner of pan-Asian restaurant Cocoon, has appointed Jason Myers as managing director of Bumpkin

Tom Aikens to buy six Paramount sites

30-Jul-2010 By Mark Stretton

Tom Aikens, the Michelin-starred chef, is in exclusive negotiations to buy six eateries from Paramount Restaurants

After hours with... Harry Miles

30-Jul-2010 By Chris Druce

Harry Miles is the head concierge of the London Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel. Miles has clocked up an impressive 31 years service at the hotel (previously the Europa) and has seen a huge amount of change, in an ever evolving role

Cross-country cooking with El Pirata de Tapas and medieval menus with Peckforton Castle

30-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin & Joe Lutrario

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including El Pirate de Tapas and Peckforton Castle, tell us about the extra activities they're planning to make their businesses more appealing

How to turn a single outlet into a chain: Top ten tips

30-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin

We asked a selection of experts and operators for their top tips on how to turn a single restaurant, pub or hotel into a chain of two or more sites.

How to turn a single outlet into a chain: Design

29-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin

Most people rarely get things spot on first time around, and setting up a restaurant, pub or hotel business is no exception. But if you don’t get the design and branding on your second or even third site perfect, you’re in trouble of damaging your business.

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