Clapham House warns of tough times ahead September 6, 2010 GOURMET Burger Kitchen (GBK) owner Clapham House yesterday warned of a “volatile” environment as it opened a new outlet at the 02 complex in Greenwich. Clapham, which also owns The Real Greek chain, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed suitor and talks over a possible deal are ongoing. But chairman David Page did [...]
Cool loft living, thanks to the Victorians March 31, 2011 THE grandly impressive school buildings of the Victorian era tend to present wonderfully idiosyncratic conversion opportunities. This month’s property of the month is a case in point. Thackeray School in Battersea was a typical Victorian development – a towering redbrick affair, if rather more elegant than some examples of the genre. Built between 1876 and [...]
For Cheapflights, profits go with sky-high growth May 8, 2011 INTERNET businesses are rarely fast growing and profitable at the same time,” David Soskin tells me. He should know: he once headed up the media sector of ABN Amro’s corporate finance wing. But as Soskin proudly points out, this has never been the case for the flight price comparison website Cheapflights – the company he [...]
For Cheapflights, profits go with sky-high growth May 8, 2011 INTERNET businesses are rarely fast growing and profitable at the same time,” David Soskin tells me. He should know: he once headed up the media sector of ABN Amro’s corporate finance wing. But as Soskin proudly points out, this has never been the case for the flight price comparison website Cheapflights – the company he [...]
No prams allowed: where singles rule March 24, 2011 ACCORDING to 2009 statistics from the Office of National Statistics General Household Survey, the number of single women has more than doubled over the past three decades. Singleness is on the rise and London is increasingly being divided into two camps: buzzy, occasionally gritty singleton hotspots stuffed to the rafters with bars – and family [...]
Clapham House shares rocket on bid approach July 29, 2010 BRITISH restaurant operator Clapham House said yesterday it received an offer approach, sending its shares up as much as 27 per cent. The owner of Gourmet Burger Kitchen and the Real Greek said there was no certainty that an offer would be made. The company, which operates 73 restaurants across the UK and 15 internationally, [...]
PROPERTY NEWS January 20, 2011 HYDE PARK PROPERTY FLOURISHING Over 55 per cent of the mega-luxe, much-hyped Hyde Park development the Lancasters (competing with the even-more hyped One Hyde Park), has been sold in advance of its opening in June, making developers Northacre the second best performing retail stock in Europe. Klas Nilsson, Northacre’s chairman, puts this down to “a [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 15, 2010 GOT A ‘TACHE? GET A FREE BURGER London’s favourite burger restaurant Byron – the newest branch just opened at One New Change by St Pauls – is getting firmly stuck into Movember, the men’s health drive. It’s offering a free burger to anyone who can show that their ‘tache is part of the campaign against [...]
Battersea gets a slice of seafood heaven February 14, 2011 The Fish Place Vincentia Court Building, Bridges Wharf, Bridges Court Rd, SW11 3GY FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £40 FOR the capital city of an island nation, London is shorter on first-rate fish restaurants than it should be. Sure, there are plenty of fishy dishes on some of the best menus, and [...]
Nando’s to buy burger chain for £30m September 17, 2010 The UK arm of chicken restaurant chain Nando’s has confirmed that it has agreed a £30m deal to buy a rival firm. It plans to take over Clapham House Group, the company behind Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) and The Real Greek. Nando’s said that Clapham’s brands were struggling in the volatile market and needed its [...]