Today’s news in brief – 16/01/24
Cooks Coffee experienced a 15.8% rise in sales to £26.9m across UK&I for the year ended 31 December 2023. The news comes as, within the UK, store sales rose by 18.6%, while in Ireland store sales rose by 11%. By the end of 2023, Cooks Coffee had added nine new stores in UK&I, totalling 71 group sites compared with 62 as of 1 January 2023.
Aslef’s strike planned for the end of January could cost hospitality almost £350m, UKH says. The latest disruption will be another blow to venues, which have already lost more than £4bn in sales from rail strikes.
RIO Brazilian Steakhouse will open a new site in Edinburgh on Friday 9 February 2024. The George Street restaurant will have room for 150 covers and will be RIO Brazilian’s first venue north of the border. The expansion follows RIO’s success in England, marking the eighth location since the brand was established in November 2019.
Scales Cocktail Bar has officially opened in Marylebone. Tucked away beneath Drink with Sasha, the new site features a discrete door in the wine shop and a dimly lit space adorned with the bar’s logo. According to Jusufi and Shala, the owners of Scales, “chemistry and balance are at the core of the mission” and all cocktails are prepared in its laboratory.
