Arc Inspirations appoints Mike Tye as chairman
Tye is currently chair of the Big Table Group, and he previously served as chairman of Haulfryn Group and Moto Hospitality Group
Arc Inspirations has appointed hospitality sector veteran and leader Mike Tye as chairman, and he will support the senior team, led by CEO and co-founder Martin Wolstencroft, in the on-going development of the business.
In his new role, Tye will work alongside the team as the group plans for a “significant” growth phase that will see Arc launch five new sites in the next 12 months. He will also take his place as a non-executive director on the board alongside Arc co-founder Chris Ure and the BGF’s Barry Jackson.
The new openings will see three new Manahatta cocktail bars open in Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield, alongside two new BOX premium sports bars, in Nottingham and Birmingham, creating 500 new jobs in total.
Tye is currently chair of the Big Table Group, and he previously served as chairman of Haulfryn Group and Moto Hospitality Group. During the executive phase of his career, Tye led a number of leisure businesses, including David Lloyd Leisure, Premier Inn and Costa Coffee.
He is a former CEO of Spirit Group PLC, and Arc Inspirations said Tye is a seasoned builder of businesses with over 30 years’ board and leadership experience in the UK hospitality sector.
Martin Wolstencroft, CEO, said: “Mike is one of the standout business leaders in our industry; his knowledge and expertise is absolutely second to none, and we are delighted to welcome someone of his calibre to Arc Inspirations.
“We are extremely grateful to Steve for the invaluable guidance, support and wise counsel he has provided to the business and the management team over the past five years. In that time, we have significantly developed the strategic framework of the business and our brands – around our cluster model – and we have massively increased and upskilled.”
Mike Tye, chairman, added: “It’s clear that Martin and his team have built a high quality and brilliantly well-run operation, with great consumer propositions, and outstanding growth prospects. I’m delighted to join the board, and am looking forward to what promises to be an exciting time ahead, as we work together to bring even more success to the business.”
Arc is backed by BGF and invested £19m in April of this year to acquire a significant minority stake in the business, to support the next phase of growth. The company continues to seek more site-growth opportunities in key cities across the country, with a plan to double the size of the business in the next three-to-five years.
