Today’s news in brief – 24/07/24

Tortilla saw a 5.9% drop in revenues to £31.5m in H1 ended 30 June 2024. The Mexican restaurant chain attributed this decline to its strategic decision in Q1 to condense to a dual delivery platform to improve profit conversion and increase focus on in store revenue. The group’s adjusted EBITDA of £1.8m is still in line with H1 last year. 

Hospitality groups saw YoY sales rise 2.9% in June, down slightly from May’s rate of 3.6% but ahead of the current rate of inflation. While the Euros brought sports fans into pubs for match days involving England and Scotland, the damp weather kept people away from beer gardens and terraces. Nevertheless, this marked the eighth period of growth in nine months. 

Proper Slice BYGB will begin a residency at EVE Kensington from 1 August to 2 September. This concept is the latest venture from Gibran Baydoun, who brought Lucali BYGB to Singapore. The new venture aims to celebrate New York’s old-school pizzerias, with pizza pies available as quick grab-and-go or as full pies for a relaxed dine-in experience.

Slim Chickens has opened a new site in Basingstoke, marking its debut in the area. The American fried chicken restaurant chain, which is operated by Boparan Restaurant Group, has a 3,503 sq ft unit on Festival Place’s ground floor, close to Five Guys and Côte Brasserie. The chain joins Mexican-inspired concept El Bigote and Festival Street Kitchen.