Today’s news in brief – 23/10/23

Pret A Manger is partnering with franchisee Dallas International to expand its operations in the US. Dallas will operate about 50 Pret shops and have exclusive rights to open new ones in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. The deal includes refurbishing shops and developing new formats, including drive-thrus, with over 10 new shops planned on the East Coast by 2026. This partnership builds on the existing relationship between the two companies, which already operates over 40 Pret shops in southern California.

CGA reported a 3% year-on-year increase in drinks sales for the week ending 14 October, following unseasonably warm weather and rugby world cup games featuring Ireland and Wales. It is the eighth week of drinks sales growth out of the last nine. The Long Alcoholic Drinks category was the biggest beneficiary of the week, with cider sales up 13% year-on-year.

Hydes Brewery is set to open The Harry Beswick, a new pub restaurant in Heswall, following a £3.6m investment. The project saw the conversion of a former police station into a dining and drinking establishment. The development has created 55 jobs in the area. It is Hydes’ first property acquisition in over five years, and part of an ongoing multi-million investment programme across the brewery’s estate over the next few years.

Sloane Stanley has announced that Dez Amore and Kiss The Hippo will be opening in the south side of Fulham later this year. Dez Amore, an Italian street-food concept, will open a 1,178 sq ft unit, while Kiss The Hippo, a specialty coffee company, will take a 600 sq ft cafe. Kings342, a new coffee bar and street food concept by Street Food Markets Ltd, is also set to join the Sloane Stanley estate at the end of the month, taking a 1,277 sq ft unit.