Caffè Nero appoints former Hotel Chocolat CEO as UK chief executive officer
Lysa Hardy, who stepped down as chief executive of Hotel Chocolat in August, has been named UK CEO of Caffè Nero.
In her new role, Hardy will report to Caffè Nero group chief executive Gerry Ford and work alongside managing director Glyn House.
She previously spent seven years at Hotel Chocolat, including a seven-month tenure as CEO.
With over 20 years of experience in UK high street brands.
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In her new role, Hardy will report to Caffè Nero group chief executive Gerry Ford and work alongside managing director Glyn House.
She previously spent seven years at Hotel Chocolat, including a seven-month tenure as CEO.
With over 20 years of experience in UK high street brands.
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15/Jan/2026 10:06
The Salad Project receives funding to support its expansion into Europe
The Salad Project has secured £9 million in funding from investors, including Deliveroo founder Will Shu, to support its expansion into Europe.
The premium salad bar will open its first overseas location in Paris’ Le Sentier district in spring/summer 2026, led by co-founder Florian de Chezelles.
The expansion is being hailed as ’the brand’s first step towards building a broader European footprint’.
The investment will also enable the London-based business to launch six to seven further branches across the capital to meet high demand.
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The premium salad bar will open its first overseas location in Paris’ Le Sentier district in spring/summer 2026, led by co-founder Florian de Chezelles.
The expansion is being hailed as ’the brand’s first step towards building a broader European footprint’.
The investment will also enable the London-based business to launch six to seven further branches across the capital to meet high demand.
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13/Jan/2026 07:59
Honi Poke and Island Poké set sights on next growth phase after acquisition
After acquiring Island Poké in July 2025, Honi Poke has unveiled the next stage in the evolution of both brands.
This strategic repositioning aims to enhance the customer experience across all channels, from in-store to delivery, serving occasions from lunch through dinner.
Starting January 2026, Honi Poke will continue to grow as the group’s flagship in-store brand, expanding its presence across London and beyond.
As part of this evolution.
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This strategic repositioning aims to enhance the customer experience across all channels, from in-store to delivery, serving occasions from lunch through dinner.
Starting January 2026, Honi Poke will continue to grow as the group’s flagship in-store brand, expanding its presence across London and beyond.
As part of this evolution.
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08/Jan/2026 08:02
Daisy Green secures approval to operate four London cafés
Daisy Green has been selected as the preferred operator for four cafés across Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park, London, after outbidding 30 rivals.
The City of London Corporation approved the café leases at Parliament Hill Fields, Parliament Hill Lido, Golders Hill Park, and Queen’s Park.
Daisy Green plans to introduce seasonal menus featuring locally sourced ingredients, served from upgraded café buildings.
The operator will also focus on reducing its environmental impact by eliminating single-use plastics and developing zero-waste menu items.
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The City of London Corporation approved the café leases at Parliament Hill Fields, Parliament Hill Lido, Golders Hill Park, and Queen’s Park.
Daisy Green plans to introduce seasonal menus featuring locally sourced ingredients, served from upgraded café buildings.
The operator will also focus on reducing its environmental impact by eliminating single-use plastics and developing zero-waste menu items.
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23/Dec/2025 07:50
Joe & The Juice presses ahead with major UK expansion
Danish-founded juice and coffee brand Joe & The Juice is continuing its significant UK store expansion, opening four new locations within just six weeks across November and December 2025.
Including earlier launches this year, the total number of new UK openings in 2025 reaches 16. This supports the brand’s strategy to grow to more than 1,000 locations globally over the next five years.
The expansion follows a 31% increase in Joe & The Juice’s UK store estate, rising from 68 locations at the end of 2023 to 89 by the end of 2025.
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Including earlier launches this year, the total number of new UK openings in 2025 reaches 16. This supports the brand’s strategy to grow to more than 1,000 locations globally over the next five years.
The expansion follows a 31% increase in Joe & The Juice’s UK store estate, rising from 68 locations at the end of 2023 to 89 by the end of 2025.
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16/Dec/2025 08:05
Grind set to open its first standalone travel café in London
Grind is set to open a new café opposite Platform 5 at Waterloo station, one of the UK’s busiest commuter hubs.
The new café opens from today (Monday 15 December) and operates daily from 7am to 10pm.
The launch marks the firm’s first standalone travel café and includes seating for 35 people.
The move is part of the brand’s plan to expand beyond craft coffee.
David Abrahamovitch.
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The new café opens from today (Monday 15 December) and operates daily from 7am to 10pm.
The launch marks the firm’s first standalone travel café and includes seating for 35 people.
The move is part of the brand’s plan to expand beyond craft coffee.
David Abrahamovitch.
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15/Dec/2025 11:59
Burger King UK plans to open 30 new locations each year
Burger King UK aims to open about 30 new restaurants a year from 2026, following reports of securing millions in new funding.
The chain’s private equity backer, Bridgepoint, has invested £15m in the fast food giant in recent days, with a further £20m expected over the next 18 months.
The move follows Burger King UK signing a new 20-year master franchise deal with a subsidiary of parent company Restaurant Brands International, expanding into the Republic of Ireland.
The brand operates 574 restaurants across the UK.
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The chain’s private equity backer, Bridgepoint, has invested £15m in the fast food giant in recent days, with a further £20m expected over the next 18 months.
The move follows Burger King UK signing a new 20-year master franchise deal with a subsidiary of parent company Restaurant Brands International, expanding into the Republic of Ireland.
The brand operates 574 restaurants across the UK.
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15/Dec/2025 09:56
Sides Fried Chicken expands into Scotland
Sides, the fried chicken brand founded by YouTube group the Sidemen, has announced plans to open its first Scottish locations in Q1 2026.
Two sites are planned for Glasgow’s St Enoch shopping centre and Livingston Designer Outlet.
The Scottish expansion comes as the business pursues what it describes in press materials as its ambition “to own the hot chicken category in the UK”.
Sides currently operates five UK restaurants at Lakeside in Essex.
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Two sites are planned for Glasgow’s St Enoch shopping centre and Livingston Designer Outlet.
The Scottish expansion comes as the business pursues what it describes in press materials as its ambition “to own the hot chicken category in the UK”.
Sides currently operates five UK restaurants at Lakeside in Essex.
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15/Dec/2025 08:37
Papa Johns set to create 400 jobs as part of a new franchise expansion deal
Papa Johns is gearing up to add around 400 jobs across the UK as part of a new franchise deal to roll out 20 additional restaurants.
The pizza chain has joined forces with the Rana Group, which already runs 25 Papa Johns locations in the UK.
They plan to open the new restaurants across Northern Ireland over the next ten years.
The debut site launched in Ballymena on 5 December, with a follow-up location to be revealed by March 2026.
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The pizza chain has joined forces with the Rana Group, which already runs 25 Papa Johns locations in the UK.
They plan to open the new restaurants across Northern Ireland over the next ten years.
The debut site launched in Ballymena on 5 December, with a follow-up location to be revealed by March 2026.
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08/Dec/2025 14:14
Domino’s Pizza CEO to step down as company shifts strategy
Domino’s Pizza announced the departure of chief executive Andrew Rennie amid changes to its overall strategy.
Nicola Frampton, Domino’s current chief operations officer, will step in as interim leader while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Rennie’s exit comes as Domino’s aims to broaden its menu beyond pizza to include more fried chicken in an effort to lift sluggish sales. The company is currently trialling a Chick ‘N’ Dip range—wings, tenders, and boneless bites—across 187 stores in England and Ireland.
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Nicola Frampton, Domino’s current chief operations officer, will step in as interim leader while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Rennie’s exit comes as Domino’s aims to broaden its menu beyond pizza to include more fried chicken in an effort to lift sluggish sales. The company is currently trialling a Chick ‘N’ Dip range—wings, tenders, and boneless bites—across 187 stores in England and Ireland.
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25/Nov/2025 11:18
London’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken has become the Azzurri Group’s most successful launch to date
According to its latest full-year results, Azzurri’s hospitality investment platform reported that London’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken achieved the highest opening sales of any site in the company’s history.
The cult fried chicken brand made its UK debut last December on Shaftesbury Avenue and has since expanded with four additional sites in Birmingham New Street, Manchester Printworks, Westfield White City, and Stevenage — all performing ahead of expectations.
The pipeline includes nine more sites set to open by the end of 2026.
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The cult fried chicken brand made its UK debut last December on Shaftesbury Avenue and has since expanded with four additional sites in Birmingham New Street, Manchester Printworks, Westfield White City, and Stevenage — all performing ahead of expectations.
The pipeline includes nine more sites set to open by the end of 2026.
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12/Nov/2025 13:57
Yum! Brands initiates strategic review of Pizza Hut as KFC and Taco Bell fuel growth
Yum! Brands reported solid third-quarter growth, fuelled by strong performances from Taco Bell and KFC, while confirming a strategic review of its Pizza Hut business as part of efforts to “maximise long-term value creation” across its global portfolio.
The group, which operates over 62,000 restaurants globally, reported a 5% increase in system sales, driven by growth at Taco Bell (+9%) and KFC (+6%), while Pizza Hut recorded a 1% decline.
Like-for-like sales rose 7% at Taco Bell and 3% at KFC.
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The group, which operates over 62,000 restaurants globally, reported a 5% increase in system sales, driven by growth at Taco Bell (+9%) and KFC (+6%), while Pizza Hut recorded a 1% decline.
Like-for-like sales rose 7% at Taco Bell and 3% at KFC.
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06/Nov/2025 10:11
Popeyes introduces new self-service kiosk software
Popeyes has finalised the six-month rollout of its newly developed kiosk software, resulting in measurable improvements in customer service.
Developed internally, the system was deployed across the company’s 90+ UK locations in less than six months.
The new kiosks have enhanced the customer ordering experience through a complete redesign of the order screens, inspired by the Popeyes app, which launched last October and is now used by more than 600,000 customers.
Following split testing in control sites.
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Developed internally, the system was deployed across the company’s 90+ UK locations in less than six months.
The new kiosks have enhanced the customer ordering experience through a complete redesign of the order screens, inspired by the Popeyes app, which launched last October and is now used by more than 600,000 customers.
Following split testing in control sites.
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06/Nov/2025 08:02
Leon co-founder John Vincent reacquires the business from Asda
Leon co-founder John Vincent has repurchased the healthy fast-food chain from Asda, aiming to steer it “back to its core values.”
Vincent founded Leon in 2004 alongside healthy food advocate Henry Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy. They sold the business in 2021 to the billionaire Issa brothers, owners of the petrol forecourt company EG Group, for a reported £100m.
Two years later, ownership passed to sister company Asda as part of a £2bn deal aimed at reducing EG Group’s debt.
However.
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Vincent founded Leon in 2004 alongside healthy food advocate Henry Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy. They sold the business in 2021 to the billionaire Issa brothers, owners of the petrol forecourt company EG Group, for a reported £100m.
Two years later, ownership passed to sister company Asda as part of a £2bn deal aimed at reducing EG Group’s debt.
However.
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03/Nov/2025 14:37
YouMeSushi to Open in Victoria - Let the Good Times Roll!
Fresh, bold Japanese flavours are heading to the heart of Westminster as YouMeSushi opens its latest branch on Stratton Ground this November. The brand, known for its handmade sushi rolls and legendary Chicken Katsu Curry, is celebrating its grand opening on Thursday 14th November by treating the first 100 customers to a free Chicken Katsu Curry - the perfect warm welcome to Victoria’s newest sushi spot.
And for those who miss out, there’s still plenty to celebrate, as customers can also sign up online for 50% off their first order via the YouMeSushi sign-up page.
Founded in Marylebone in 2008.
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And for those who miss out, there’s still plenty to celebrate, as customers can also sign up online for 50% off their first order via the YouMeSushi sign-up page.
Founded in Marylebone in 2008.
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31/Oct/2025 15:56
Starbucks reports first sales increase in nearly two years as turnaround plan takes hold
After 18 months of declining sales, Starbucks has begun to see a recovery, driven by a turnaround strategy focused on price simplification and enhancing the customer experience in its stores.
The coffee chain reported a 1% rise in global same-store sales between July and September, marking its first increase in nearly two years.
The increase was largely driven by international markets, where same-store sales rose 3%, while performance in the US remained flat.
Starbucks’ chief executive.
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The coffee chain reported a 1% rise in global same-store sales between July and September, marking its first increase in nearly two years.
The increase was largely driven by international markets, where same-store sales rose 3%, while performance in the US remained flat.
Starbucks’ chief executive.
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31/Oct/2025 12:22
German Doner Kebab expands global footprint with launch in India
German Doner Kebab (GDK), the global fast-casual kebab brand redefining the kebab experience, has announced its entry into the Indian market, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing international expansion.
This launch marks the continuation of a landmark year for GDK. It follows the opening of its 150th UK restaurant and the upcoming debut of its first Irish outlet in Dublin.
These milestones underscore the brand’s sustained growth trajectory and rising international appeal. Backed by True & Hero Brands.
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This launch marks the continuation of a landmark year for GDK. It follows the opening of its 150th UK restaurant and the upcoming debut of its first Irish outlet in Dublin.
These milestones underscore the brand’s sustained growth trajectory and rising international appeal. Backed by True & Hero Brands.
more »
28/Oct/2025 08:02
Black Sheep Coffee expands into Cambridgeshire with 7 site deal
Black Sheep Coffee is proud to announce that they have just signed a 7-store development agreement covering the county of Cambridgeshire.
The territory has been awarded to MJP Coffee Limited, operated by Tom and Laura McEwan who bring strong backgrounds in hospitality and multi-unit operations. The highly experienced duo will lead the rollout of Black Sheep Coffee across Cambridgeshire, introducing the brand’s distinctive Robusta coffee and bold energy to a mix of locations and store formats throughout the county.
The partnership will see sites open in both urban and commuter hot spots.
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The territory has been awarded to MJP Coffee Limited, operated by Tom and Laura McEwan who bring strong backgrounds in hospitality and multi-unit operations. The highly experienced duo will lead the rollout of Black Sheep Coffee across Cambridgeshire, introducing the brand’s distinctive Robusta coffee and bold energy to a mix of locations and store formats throughout the county.
The partnership will see sites open in both urban and commuter hot spots.
more »
21/Oct/2025 10:37
Black Sheep Coffee Opens Second Belfast Site
Black Sheep Coffee, the Robusta rebels shaking up the UK coffee scene, are expanding their footprint in Northern Ireland with a brand-new store opening on 4th November at Ann Street in Belfast.
The launch, which will be just outside Victoria Square Shopping Centre, marks Black Sheep Coffee’s second Belfast location in just eight months. Their debut site, beside Belfast City Hall, saw huge crowds queuing down the street for the opening week. The Ann Street opening is set to spark the same excitement.
Black Sheep Coffee-Ireland.
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The launch, which will be just outside Victoria Square Shopping Centre, marks Black Sheep Coffee’s second Belfast location in just eight months. Their debut site, beside Belfast City Hall, saw huge crowds queuing down the street for the opening week. The Ann Street opening is set to spark the same excitement.
Black Sheep Coffee-Ireland.
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21/Oct/2025 10:33
Sandwich Sandwich to launch its first international franchise location
Bristol-based sandwich brand Sandwich Sandwich will open its first international location in Dubai early next year.
Sandwich Sandwich Dubai will mark the group’s first franchise venture as it pursues expansion through the model both in the UK and internationally.
The move follows a period of rapid growth for the family-run brand, which has gained a cult following for its generously filled sandwiches, amassing millions of views on social media and drawing regular queues at its London and Bristol locations.
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Sandwich Sandwich Dubai will mark the group’s first franchise venture as it pursues expansion through the model both in the UK and internationally.
The move follows a period of rapid growth for the family-run brand, which has gained a cult following for its generously filled sandwiches, amassing millions of views on social media and drawing regular queues at its London and Bristol locations.
more »
21/Oct/2025 09:39