O'Neill's is flying high at Heathrow

By The PMA Team An O'Neill's outlet has been opened under franchise at Heathrow Airport. Brand owner Six Continents Retail has agreed a franchising deal with City Centre Restaurants, the company which operates a total of 240 restaurants under names such as Garfunkels, Caffe Uno and Frankie and Benny's. Bob Cartwright, director of communications for Six Continents Retail, said: "It is a testament to the continued success and popularity of O'Neill's that a franchise branch is appearing at Heathrow. This premier location should help generate great exposure for O'Neill's, in what are fast becoming very exciting times for the brand. "We are looking forward to further airport franchising opportunities with City Centre Restaurants." Andrew Guy, City Centre chief executive, stressed that the company would only open pubs in franchise arrangements at airports and had no intention of opening pubs in high streets. "We see it as simply offering food and drink at the airport in a slightly different way." The Heathrow outlet, which is situated in terminal three and will be used by travellers departing for the United States, Australia and the Far East, is the second O'Neill's franchise branch in the UK. The first was on London's Drury Lane, awarded to franchisee Kieran Rice last summer. Six Continents began exploring franchising about 18 months ago. The Heathrow franchise involves Six Continents providing City Centre with help on issues such as training, while being paid a percentage of turnover. With the Drury Lane site, Six Continents owns a site that was already trading as an O'Neill's prior to the appointment of a franchisee. In other unbranded sites, Six Continents has been looking at the appointment of franchisees to whom the company provides on-going services. O'Neill's now has 90 sites across the UK.