Friday Five: the week s top news This week s main hospitality news stories include Jollibee s plan to invest £30m in UK expansion; Oakman acquiring six former Seafood Pub Company sites; and the extension of commercial rent protections.
- Filipino fast food chain Jollibee is planning to open 10 new restaurants in the UK this year
as part of a £30m expansion drive. The group, which currently operates three sites in London, Liverpool and Leicester respectively, wants to be in every major city in the UK . Last year Jollibee announced plans to open 50 restaurants across the UK in the next three to five years, as well as grow its presence in Italy, Spain and other European markets. The group will open a new flagship UK site in London s Leicester Square in May, after lockdown restrictions on restaurants are lifted, with another nine sites expected to launch before the end of the year. A further 15 to 20 openings are planned for 2022.
Derby Arms in Longridge
- Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Five Lancashire dining pubs have been saved after a recent acquisition by a regional pub chain.
The Alma Inn in Colne, The Derby Arms in Longridge, The Farmers Arms in Great Eccleston, The Fenwick Arms in Claughton and The Forest Inn in Fence, were all part of the award-winning Seafood Pub Company which faced trading difficulty in during the lockdown in 2020.
A deal to purchase the five Lancashire pubs along with The Fleece Inn, Addingham, West Yorkshire has been agreed with Home Counties-based operator, The Oakman Group, in a move that will save around 150 jobs.
Six former Seafood Pub Company sites have been acquired from administrators by the Oakman Group, with its founder Joycelyn Neve joining Oakman to oversee a new Seafood Pub division.
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