Today’s news in brief – 21/03/25

Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin said that the budget’s impact will raise costs by £60m at the pub chain, which would mean about £1,500 per pub, per week. It comes as Wetherspoon revealed in its half-year report that operating profits fell by 4.3% to £64.8m, mainly due to labour and utility costs which in total were £30.6m higher. This was despite total sales rising by 3.9% to £1.03bn during the period, as like-for-like sales jumped by 4.8%. 

Burger King’s main UK operator has launched talks for a refinancing deal, as the fast-food group plans to open 30 new restaurants this year, according to Sky News. Almost eight years after acquiring the business, Bridgestone has committed £35m in new equity as part of Burger King UK’s business plan, and is now seeking an additional £40m in refinancing. It is understood that the deal will also include £110m of existing debt. 

Carlsberg has signed a new partnership deal with UEFA to become the official beer of its national football team. This includes sponsorship of the men’s Euro 2028, women’s Euro 2029, UEFA Nations League Finals, and UEFA Women’s Nations League, Men’s and Women’s European Qualifiers and UEFA Futsal Euro. The deal follows its previous long-standing partnership with UEFA which lasted for more than two decades .

Hospitality staff say AI has had a positive impact on their workplace, according to new research from The Access Group. Some 54% of people who work in hospitality, and who regularly handle information as part of their job, use AI tools – and 91% say it’s beneficial. While the hospitality sector was behind the tech industry (with 74% adoption), it was way ahead of not-for-profit, and health and social care sectors at 29% and 30% respectively.