Coronavirus - Hospitality

Covid Passes would put ‘completely unjustified burden’ on Welsh hospitality

08-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Welsh Government have proposed a potential introduction of an “impractical and wholly unworkable” Covid Pass system at hospitality venues, prompting legal backlash from operators.

Licensees loaned £138m to pubs and bars during Covid

02-Nov-2021 By Rebecca Weller

Licensees were left with no option but to inject personal loans in excess of £2000,000 into their businesses last year as high street banks tightened lending criteria.

'Couldn't be more welcome' nightclub bosses delighted with passport scrap

13-Sep-2021 By Ed Bedington

“What a relief” is the reaction from the UK nightclub bosses to the news the Government has announced a U-turn on its decision to enforce Covid passports on the sector.

Coronavirus recovery: Mojo sees like-for-like sales up and is set to open new site

31-Aug-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Mojo, the soon to be six-strong Leeds based bar operator, has reported a 70% increase in like-for-like turnover compared to its 2019 figures.

Exclusive

Coronavirus recovery: Rise in food sales for The Frisco Group

25-Aug-2021 By Michelle Perrett

The Frisco Group, the three strong multiple pub operator, has revealed it has seen a rise in food sales after the removal of Coronavirus restrictions.

MA's review of the week

‘Pingdemic’ staff shortages pose question over which pubs to ‘sacrifice’

23-Jul-2021 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser’s Ed Bedington and Liberation Group’s Jayson Perfect reflect on a week’s worth of pub sector headlines following ‘Freedom Day’ on 19 July.

Night czar warns of 'conflict on the doors' amid calls for vaccine passport details

23-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, Sacha Lord, has called on the Government to urgently provide details on vaccination requirements for venues.

Pubs ‘cannot continue’ amid self-isolation shortages

22-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Bosses have urged the Government to stop "dithering” and introduce a ‘test to release’ scheme to allow self-isolating workers to return to work quicker.

BrewDog’s online sales growth fails to offset bar closures

22-Jul-2021 By Dominic Allport

BrewDog has reported a pre-tax loss of £13.1m during 2020 despite achieving 10% revenue growth during 2020. The strong growth in online sales was not enough to offset the impact of bar closures.

Loungers’ pre-‘Freedom Day’ sales 23.7% up versus 2019 levels

22-Jul-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

According to its latest financial update, café bar operator Loungers revealed that sales across its estate of 175 venues were up by 23.7% in the nine weeks from 17 May to 18 July 2021 versus the same period in 2019.

Calls for intervention build as ministers U-turn on dodging isolation

19-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Bosses have slammed current Covid rules after the Chancellor and the Prime Minister were forced to backtrack on avoiding self-isolation.

Stonegate files £845m lawsuit against insurers

19-Jul-2021 By Georgi Gyton

Stonegate Group has filed a £845m lawsuit against its insurers: MS Amlin, Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe and Zurich, in the latest sector dispute over business interruption policies.

Opinion

With ‘freedom day’ fast approaching, how should operators handle staff who are nervous about the new workplace?

16-Jul-2021 By Julian Cox, partner and head of commercial law firm BLM’s London employment team

As bars and pubs plan new workplace practices following the removal of restrictions on 19 July, employees may be nervous about returning to work without Covid safety measures in place.

MA’s review of the week

Unlocked US states suggest spike as UK restrictions ease won’t be ‘exponential’

16-Jul-2021 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington reflects on another week’s worth of headlines with hospitality investor and Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh.

Pubs opt to continue 'relaxed' table service

16-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Almost half of The Morning Advertiser’s (MA) readers have said they will continue with table service beyond next week and the relaxation of Covid-secure trading measures.

Young people eager for clubbing return with 20% planning 'ASAP'

13-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Almost all young Brits (94.3%) plan to visit late-night venues once restrictions are completely lifted and nightclubs allowed to reopen, a survey has revealed.

Vaccine passports on the cards for autumn

12-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Vaccine passports could be introduced to prevent pub shutdowns in England this autumn, it has been reported.

Pub bosses mull future of masks

08-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses are considering whether or not to ask or require staff to wear face coverings beyond 19 July as 38% say they will ask staff to continue.

Opinion

‘Freedom Day’: ‘After numerous false promises, I will only believe it once I see it’

08-Jul-2021 By Kate Stewart, the Sandon, Liverpool

Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday (5 July) was obviously a positive one for the hospitality industry and many others who have been repeatedly devastated by the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns that have been imposed on our country.

Inception Group: isolating staff is 'number one concern'

07-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Recovery for Inception Group’s central London sites will not be “an overnight big bang,” according to the group’s co-founder.

Branded pub and bar decline levelling off versus 2018-19 numbers

06-Jul-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

According to the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Operator Data Index, the branded pub and bar restaurant segment is expected to total 3,753 sites at Dec 2021 – a net loss of 29 sites.

Opinion

Isolation notices: The shark in the shallows

06-Jul-2021 By Tim Tomlinson, operator of the White Cross, Merchants 1688, the Stonewall Tap, Lancaster, Lancashire

I am sure everyone in the sector is extremely happy about the news we will be allowed to open more or less as normal from 19 July.

Welsh venues to receive up to £25k in Covid support

01-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The Welsh Government has announced a fresh sum of funding for businesses that continue to be hit hard by pandemic restrictions.

lockdown live

Government implored to 'stop meddling' with vaccine rules

28-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Coronavirus latest: The Government should leave venues to carry out their own risk assessments on the necessity of vaccination requirements, one pub group boss has said.

10 coronavirus cases linked to clubbing pilots

25-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Nightlife bosses have said the sector has been “marginalised” after a long awaited Government report found just 10 coronavirus cases associated with clubbing pilots.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: outdoor music, risk assessments and licencing conditions

23-Jun-2021 By Poppleston Allen

The latest legal Q&A from specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen responds to a query around the outdoor live music, Covid risk assessments and licensing conditions.

Calls to mass vaccinate young Scots as pubs 'needlessly closing'

23-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Mass vaccinating young Scots would prevent hundreds of venues being forced to close their doors and help workers' mental health, pub bosses have claimed.

Scotland to lift all major restrictions in early August

23-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

All major Covid restrictions will be scrapped on Monday 9 August in Scotland as “a very significant degree of normality will be restored,” the First Minister has said.

No current plans for fresh ventilation standards

22-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The Government has no current plans to legislate standards for ventilation onto businesses, The Morning Advertiser understands.

MPs to hear trade’s heartache from licensees about coronavirus restrictions

18-Jun-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

A cross party group has shared comments from licensees, pubgoers and organisations about the impact the pandemic has had on them.

Indoor reopening helps Loungers to 26.6% sales boost

17-Jun-2021 By Stuart Stone

Nationwide café bar operator Loungers has reported that like-for-like sales during the four weeks from Monday 17 May were up 26.6% versus to the same period in 2019.

Licensing hub - Legal with Poppleston Allen

Restrictions extended in England – What pubs need to know

16-Jun-2021 By Poppleston Allen

The Prime Minister has confirmed restrictions in England will remain in place at least midnight on 18 July. Suraj Desor, specialist hospitality licensing solicitor at Poppleston Allen, answers key questions about the extended measures.

Opinion - Pride 2021

'Without income from restricted or closed LGBTQ+ venues to fund initiatives, progress slows'

16-Jun-2021 By Jack Mizel, CEO of Pride 365

Many nightlife venues, and hospitality businesses have been hit incredibly hard over Covid.

The final betrayal?

15-Jun-2021 By Ed Bedington

A further kicking of the can down the road should probably not come as much of a surprise for an industry that has felt the full force of those kicks in the last year and a half.

Almost two thirds of Brits not scaling back pub plans due to Delta variant

15-Jun-2021 By Stuart Stone

Some 60% of respondents have not scaled back plans to socialise in pubs and bars due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, according to new research.

breaking

Four week unlocking delay 'hard to stomach'

14-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The lifting of lockdown rules has been delayed for up to four weeks as the Prime Minister urged the public to "wait a little longer" until Monday 19 July.

Opinion – Pride 2021

‘The role of LGBTQ venues within the community is more important than ever’

11-Jun-2021 By Scott Frankham, head of media at Greene King

I first paid a visit to an LGBTQ pub when I was 18 – I’d just moved to Birmingham to start university and I was introduced to the Village Inn, a central hub of Birmingham’s gay quarter.

Jobs round-up

New hires for Inn Collection Group and ETM, sector staff lack mental health support, furlough update

10-Jun-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

In addition to people news from The Inn Collection Group and ETM, there are updates on mental health training for hospitality staff and the Government’s furlough scheme.

Drake & Morgan CVA approved

09-Jun-2021 By Stuart Stone

London-based cocktail bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan’s creditors have approved a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) – with 90% voting in favour of proposals.

Nightcap trading ‘significantly ahead’ of expectations

09-Jun-2021 By Stuart Stone

The firm behind London Cocktail Club and the Adventure Bar Group has revealed post-lockdown revenues almost matched the figures recorded during equivalent weeks in 2019.