MA Leaders Club

Amber unveils latest openings

13-Dec-2011 By John Harrington

Amber Taverns, the fast-growing operator of wet-led freehold pubs, is to open its 72nd site on Monday after opening two outlets this week.

Sales up at Novus Leisure

12-Dec-2011 By Mark Wingett

Novus Leisure, the privately-owned bar and club group led by Steve Richards, has reported a rise in full-year sales on the back of its pre-bookings and continued investment in its existing estate.

Marks-led group completes Luminar deal

12-Dec-2011 By Mark Wingett

A new group led by industry veteran Peter Marks, who was formerly chief executive at Brook leisure and Sports Café, has completed the acquisition of nightclub operator Luminar out of administration in deal worth around £45m.

Noble Inns plans five sites

09-Dec-2011 By John Harrington

The operator of an award-winning London gastropub says he plans to run an estate of around five sites under his new company Noble Inns.

Geronimo boosts Young's half year results

24-Nov-2011 By Mark Wingett

Young’s, the London-based pub operator, has reported a rise in half-year sales on the back of its acquisition of Geronimo Inns last December, good trading in its existing estate and strong growth in profits across it hotels.

Loungers set for 29 sites by end of 2012

23-Nov-2011 By John Harrington

Loungers, the fast-growing café/bar restaurant group, is expected to reach 29 sites by the end of 2012 as it announces eight new openings next year.

Amber Taverns secures new funding

21-Nov-2011 By Mark Wingett

Amber Taverns, the Preston-based operator of wet-led freehold pubs, has secured £5m in new funding to enable it to push towards its aim of operating a 100-strong estate by 2014.

Be At One maintains rapid growth

18-Nov-2011

Be At One, the 12-strong London-based cocktail bar chain, has reported a 40% rise in pre-tax profits on turnover up 24% to £8.58m in the year to 31 March 2011.

‘Customer malaise’ hits InnBrighton

17-Nov-2011 By John Harrington

InnBrighton, the Brighton & Hove-based licensed multiple retailer, has posted a 19.1% fall in EBITDA for the year to 30 June 2011, with rising costs, poor weather and “customer malaise” hitting sales.

Living Ventures to open new venue

11-Nov-2011

Living Ventures Management, the restaurant and bar company led by entrepreneurs Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts, will open its latest venture in Manchester — Peppermint Bay, a café-deli concept — next week.

Stonegate eyes Barracuda Pub Co

10-Nov-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Stonegate, the TDR Capital-backed managed pub operator, is understood to be running a slide rule over Barracuda Pub Company, the c.200-strong pub group, prior to a possible bid for the business, the PMA has learnt.

Snug Bars opens fifth outlet

08-Nov-2011

Snug Bars, the up-market bar operator, has opened its fifth leased site and is close to finalising on its sixth.

Apartment’s £8.65m loan

08-Nov-2011

Apartment Group, the north east-based bar and restaurant company, is eyeing further growth in the region after a securing an £8.65m loan from the Co-operative Bank.

Myers takes chair at Intertain

04-Nov-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

David Myers, industry veteran and current chairman of Premium Bars & Restaurants and La Tasca, has been appointed as the new chairman of Walkabout operator Intertain.

Camerons reports solid performance

04-Nov-2011 By John Harrington

Camerons, the Hartlepool-based brewer and pub operator, has reported a “solid” performance for the year to 1 May 2011, with underlying profits in line with the previous year.

Tim Sykes named Best Individual at MA250 Awards

03-Nov-2011

Beds and Bars chairman Tim Sykes was crowned Best Individual at the MA250 Awards for independent multiple operators in London yesterday.

11 Luminar sites to close, interest in estate

03-Nov-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

The administrators of Luminar and its subsidiaries have taken steps to close 11 loss making clubs as part of their ongoing strategic review of the business.

Heron & Brearley acquires Market Town Taverns

01-Nov-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Market Town Taverns, the Yorkshire-based operator led by Ian Fozard, has been acquired by Heron & Brearley, the Isle of Man’s biggest hospitality operator, for an undisclosed sum.

Piper takes stake in Be At One

31-Oct-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Piper, the private equity group, which formerly backed Pitcher & Piano and Las Iguanas, has taken a significant minority stake in Be At One, the London-based 12-strong cocktail bar chain.

Yummy Pub Co acquires third site

27-Oct-2011 By The PMA Team

Yummy Pub Co, the award-winning company led by Carlsberg marketing executive Tim Foster and Anthony Pender, is set to open its third pub.

Luminar falls into administration

26-Oct-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Luminar, the troubled nightclub operator, has fallen into administration after its banks withdrew support.

Amber expands with two new sites

24-Oct-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Amber Taverns, the Preston-based operator of wet-led freehold pubs, has taken its estate to the 70 mark with the purchase of a further two sites in the north-east.

Tavistock’s new gastropub franchise

24-Oct-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Tavistock Leisure, the Sunderland-based bar, restaurant and hotel operator, has unveiled plans to rollout a chain of gastropubs and restaurants via a “franchise-style” scheme.

Bath Ales plans to double brewery volumes

19-Oct-2011 By John Harrington

Bath Ales, the West Country brewer and pub operator, is planning a seven-figure investment to double brewing volumes in the next two years and increase them four-fold by 2016.

No Saints reveals plans to launch 15 sites

10-Oct-2011

No Saints, the bar and restaurant group run by former Luminar chief executive Stephen Thomas, revealed plans to open at least 15 sites.

Novus aiming to double its estate

03-Oct-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Novus, the privately-owned bar and club group, plans to double its 53-strong estate in the next four years and may roll out its newly-acquired Balls Brothers brand further, according to chief executive Steve Richards.

Luminar: indicative bids for company received

28-Sep-2011

Nightclub and late night bar operator Luminar has received several indicative bids for the company, it has announced.

Third site for Cheshire Cat

23-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, the pub company headed by trade veterans Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, has opened its third site and is eyeing another three.

Peach profit up by a third

22-Sep-2011

Peach Pub Company Holdings, the holding company of the multiple operator, increased pre-tax profits by more than one-third in 2010 and said it plans to open up to three sites this year.

Novus appoints Gala Coral founder John Kelly as chairman

20-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Premium bar operator Novus Leisure has named Gala Coral founder John Kelly as its new non-executive chairman.

Excellence prevails, in spite of the economy

15-Sep-2011 By The PMA Team

Adversity often brings out the best in people. This has more than been revealed in this year’s Great British Pub Awards (GBPA).

Be At One seals its 12th site in the capital

12-Sep-2011 By John Harrinton, M&C Report

Be At One, the London-based cocktail-bar operator, has secured its 12th and largest site, at Monument, as it eyes another two openings before March 2012.

Bar Sport concept revived

09-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Pub entrepreneur Scott Murray has relaunched his Bar Sport concept and unveiled grand plans to open in every UK town and city via franchise agreements.

Luminar moves to boost clubs’ trade

09-Sep-2011 By The PMA Team

Troubled nightclub company Luminar is understood to have placed 15 nightclubs in a stand-alone “entrepreneurial” division headed by Tony Gorbert.

October is Proud of Ale month at TCG pubs

07-Sep-2011

Managed pub group TCG is to run a Proud of Our Ale event at 65 of its pubs during the month of October.

Banks grant Luminar further extension

25-Aug-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

The banking group behind Luminar has agreed to a three-month extension to the covenant waiver it arranged with the nightclub operator in May.

New funding and 19th site for loungers

11-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Loungers, the privately-owned group behind the Lounge and Cosy Club concepts, has revealed it has secured an additional £1m funding for expansion...

BrewDog share issue raises £1m

11-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

BrewDog says it expects to have reached its £2.2m investment target via a share issue four months ahead of schedule.

G1 to run four Festival sites

08-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Scottish pub operator G1 Group has announced a new venture with troubled bar and hotel company Festival Group, which entered into pre-pack...

Dowell steps down at Intertain

08-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Mike Dowell, one of the founders of Walkabout operator Intertain, which emerged from Regent Inns in 2009, has left the company.

JW Lees wins live-in manager appeal

29-Jul-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Manchester brewery JW Lees has won a landmark employment tribunal case over paying live-in managers for their off-duty time, which could have been a...

Amber estate grows to 69

28-Jul-2011 By John Harrington

Amber Taverns, the northern England-based pub operator, has brought its estate to 69 sites with the purchase of three ex-pubco pubs for £505,000.

ALMR boosted by membership rise

25-Jul-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) turned around a pre-tax loss of £11,918 in 2009 to record a £6,494 surplus last year.

Lessee criticises Wadworth chief

22-Jul-2011 By Adam Pescod

A Wadworth lessee has told the company's executives to "take a look at themselves" instead of blaming a fall in profits on their tenants. John...

Stonegate introduces new customer satisfaction programme

19-Jul-2011 By Adam Pescod

Stonegate Pub Company, which last month merged with Town and City Pub Company, is introducing a new customer satisfaction programme across the former...