Today’s news in brief – 25/02/25
Prosus has agreed to acquire Just Eat for €4.1bn (£3.4bn) to create the fourth largest food delivery group globally. Prosus acquires Just Eat’s entire issued share capital for €20.30 (£16.8) per share via a recommended all-cash public offer on the Amsterdam exchange. The acquisition provides an opportunity for Prosus to extend the leadership of an European food delivery platform, complementing its existing food delivery footprint outside of Europe.
The confidence of hospitality bosses has fallen for the fifth quarter in a row as pressure mounts on operating costs, according to CGA by NIQ. The poll revealed that only 33% of leaders feel confident about prospects for their business over the next 12 months – 8% down from October’s figure of 41%. Meanwhile, only 14% of all leaders surveyed feel optimistic about the future of hospitality in general over the next year – 6% lower quarter-on-quarter.
UKH has backed the Home Offices proposal to relax licensing hours if any of the qualifying home nations reach the semi-final or final of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. Licensing hours for these games are proposed to be extended from 11pm to 1am in England and Wales. The trade body welcomes this, considering the fact that many pubs are only licensed until 10:30pm on Sundays.
The Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) has appointed a new chair, along with several new board members. As sector director at Company of Cooks, Laurent Lucas-Dufour was vice chair of ACE last year and has been a board member since 2022. ACE’s board appointments are for two years and as the former vice chair, Dufour automatically takes over the chairship this year from predecessor Francois Gautreaux.
081 Pizzeria will open its biggest location yet in East London, following the success of its flagship site in Peckham. Located on Great Eastern Street, the new 2,000-square-foot venue will transform a former event space (Iron Bloom) into a pizzeria with modern street-art, inspired by the culture of Naples. The restaurant will have 60 covers and a total capacity of 150 guests, as well as a menu of Neapolitan pizza, Napoli-inspired tapas and Italian wines.
