According to new research from business advisory firm BDO, the number of merger and acquisition transactions relating to pubs, bars and restaurants looks set to rise significantly next year.Head of restaurant and bars at BDO, David Campbell, told The Financial Times, “Eating out has been relatively unaffected in the consumer downturn and we see casual dining continuing to grow.
“With banks looking to offload pub assets and a number of profitable restaurant chains approaching the point where we would expect an ownership change, the market is ripe for M&A activity,” added Mr Campbell.
The firm also predicted that popular high-street chains such as Pizza Express and Jamie’s Italian could be acquired by new owners in 2012 as private equity companies look to cash in on the lucrative dining sector.
Mr Campbell added, “Companies will be investing in 2012 in anticipation of consumer pressure easing in 2013 as wage inflation supersedes cost inflation.”
The firm reported that as many as 5,000 pubs currently up for sale will see some sort of movement next year, with giants such as Greene King and Punch Taverns offloading less successful pubs and banks disposing of repossessed assets.
14 Dec 2011
Pub M&As predicted to soar in 2012
Skelton-in-Cleveland Pub For Sale, Skelton-in-Cleveland Property Investments For Sale
13 Dec 2011
BBC News - Future of Derry bars 'at risk' from illegal trading
A group representing the pub business has warned the future of bars in Londonderry is at risk from illegal trading.
Pubs of Ulster Chief Executive, Colin Neill, said about 50 pubs in County Derry, and 10-20 in the centre of Derry, regularly abuse licencing laws.
He said the number of pubs and nightclubs trading without the right licence could lead to job losses.
"They are effectively stealing income from the law-abiding publican.
"Five hundred pounds in cash taken from a till would invariably be considered theft; this is as bad if not worse.
"These unlawful operations are stealing thousands of pounds from businesses and impacting not only on the income of the owner, but on the thousands of staff employed across the city," he said.
Mr Neill is to meet local publicans and the PSNI in Derry on Tuesday to discuss the problem of illegal trading.
10 Dec 2011
Free Coca-Cola for designated drivers - Latest car stories - MSN Cars UK
Designated drivers will be rewarded with free Coca-Cola drinks over the Christmas period as part of the annual THINK! drink drive safety campaign.
More than 8,000 pubs and student union bars are to offer the ‘buy one, get one free’ incentive on Coke soft drinks, between 9 December 2011 and 1 January 2012.
Coca-Cola has launched an online pub finder so people can search for pubs offering the free drink inventive.
The move is part of a £660,000 Christmas drink drive campaign that is already running, and which will be promoted on TV over the weekend. The high-profile incentive aims to drive home the message to young men in particular, who are consistently over-represented in drink drive casualty figures.
Men aged 17-29 are thus being targeted by a campaign that will include radio advertising, posters in pub toilets, online search activity and targeted Facebook advertising.
In launching the annual campaign, Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said the aim was to continue ongoing big reductions in drink drive deaths.
“The number of drink drive deaths has fallen by more than 75% since 1979, but drink driving is still devastating lives with around 250 people killed in collisions where a driver was over the limit last year.
“Our THINK! campaign makes it clear that drivers who get behind the wheel over the limit risk losing their licence as well as facing a fine and even a prison sentence.”
The deal with Coca-Cola, he said, was to reward to designated drivers as part of the government’s Drive Friendly initiative. This was launched two years ago and aims to support designated drivers with special promotions on on-alcoholic drinks.
“No one wants to spend their Christmas in a police cell,” he added. “My message is clear: don’t drink and drive.”
8 Dec 2011
BBPA calls for rethink on Diamond Jubilee pub opening hours | 6 December 2011 | Stock Market Wire
The Government must ensure that the people of Britain are able to give Her Majesty the Queen the massive national ‘thank you’ she so richly deserves on the Diamond Jubilee next June – by letting pubs open for extended hours on Sunday and Monday on the special, double bank holiday.The government consultation, just closed, on the issue suggests that extra hours will be allowed for Friday and Saturday – but with the huge celebrations likely to continue on the Monday, given the extra bank holiday on Tuesday, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) wants the extra hours moved to Sunday and Monday instead. This would make pubs the heart of the national holiday celebrations, just as they were for this year’s Royal Wedding.
Extra hours on Friday and Saturday would be too much ‘business-as-usual’, says the BBPA, and not covering Sunday would cause particular problems, given that many pubs still close early on Sunday under their existing licences.
Brigid Simmonds, BBPA Chief Executive, comments:
“It’s hard to imagine a more special event in the life of Britain than the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – and pubs should be at the heart of the celebrations, without the red tape around late opening hours.
“The Government is right to recognise the need for extra opening hours, and extra hours worked brilliantly for the Royal Wedding with no problems - pubs really do need the same for the Jubilee Sunday and Monday evenings."
7 Dec 2011
Buxton Pub For Sale, Buxton Property Investments For Sale
Freehold Pub For Sale In Buxton, Derbyshire Prince of Wales Fairfield Road Buxton Derbyshire SK17 Gross Site Area: 5195 sq/ft* £ 195,000 + VAT Freehold LOCATION The Prince of Wales is located in the busy A6 on the Junction of Fairfield Road and Victoria Park Road/Windsor Road. Immediately surround the property are both commercial and residential properties. Buxton town centre is close by and the Buxton rail station is just under 0.3 miles West of the site. PROPERTY 2 storey detached brick building on a corner plot. There are some car parking spaces on the site and an outside drinking area at the front. There are some single story sections to the side of the property. Private accommodation comprises a kitchen, lounge, 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. FURTHER INFORMATION Vacant possession Development potential (STPP) Approx gross site area: 5,195 sq.ft* Approx ground floor foot plate: 2,175 sq.ft* (of pub only) Rateable Value: £7,750 Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest Derbyshire Pub for Sale The Hindu : Cities / Hyderabad : Sales at pubs, restaurants take a hit with anti drunk driving Laws!!
Many prefer to party either at home or friends' places now
Ever since the anti-drunk driving was launched by the traffic police, it's not just the guzzlers who are a worried lot but the pub and restaurant owners too as most of them are staring at poor sales reports in the last few days.
Initiative welcomed
Publicly, however, they are welcoming the initiative. Restaurant owners also claim that their business has not been affected, compared to pubs and lounges as it is mostly the families who frequent them. They also notice a significant change.
“People are making sure they do not drive vehicles after consuming liquor or they are arranging cabs, which is a good trend,” says Andhra Pradesh Hotels and Restaurants Association secretary Pradeep Kumar Dutt.
There are about 130 hotels and restaurants, which are classified into three, four and five classes and over two dozen pubs and lounges in the city.
Some of the best earning ones are located in prime areas where the police action is the strongest. Each pub does a business of about Rs.1 lakh per day, which doubles on weekends. With the police generally targeting youngsters frequenting pubs, their business has gone for a toss, acknowledges a pub owner, wishing anonymity.
“How many can afford drivers or cabs every time they visit a pub or lounge. Many prefer to party either at home or at friends' places,” he rues. An unintended off-shoot of the drive against drunk driving is that the retail booze dealers are sporting big smiles as they have been noticing a spurt in their sales with partygoers being homebound.