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How to write a business plan in the UK 2026
21/09/2026The UK has no franchise disclosure document. No statute requires a franchisor to hand over audited figures, and no regulator checks what it does hand over. That makes the business plan the only place where the numbers are tested before…
How to open an estate agency in the UK 2026
21/09/2026No licence and no qualification are needed to trade as an estate agent in England. Three registrations are compulsory all the same, and trading without the anti-money laundering one is a criminal offence. Cross into Scotland, and the position reverses:…
Heineken leads bid for 300 Stonegate pubs in £300m deal
21/09/2026Heineken's UK pub arm Star Pubs is reported to be leading the bidding for around 300 pubs from Stonegate, in a deal valued at about £300 million. The talks were reported at the weekend on unnamed City sources and are…
Pizza Express owners explore £500m sale of 450-site business
21/09/2026Bain Capital and Cyrus Capital Partners have appointed Rothschild to explore a sale of Pizza Express, at a valuation reported at up to £500 million. Approaches have already come from trade bidders and investment firms. Any buyer takes on 370…
KFC plans to acquire more than 60 restaurants in 2027
21/09/2026KFC is looking to acquire more than 60 restaurants in the UK during 2027, according to Propel. The plan sits on top of an estate that is roughly 95% franchised, and it follows a June deal running the other way,…
Conservatives pledge to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors
21/09/2026The Conservatives have pledged to restore VAT refunds for overseas visitors shopping in Great Britain, five years after the scheme was withdrawn. The party puts the cost at £540 million a year and claims it would draw 2.35 million more…
Randy’s Donuts picks Edinburgh for first UK shop
18/09/2026Los Angeles doughnut chain Randy's Donuts has filed a planning application for its first UK shop, at a former Barburrito unit on Forest Road in Edinburgh. The brand, known for its 32-foot rooftop doughnut sign, is seeking UK franchise partners…
How to open a dark kitchen in the UK 2026
17/09/2026Dark kitchens make up around 15% of all food retailers on the major delivery platforms in England, according to publicly funded research led by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. Each one carries the same food law as…
How to open a bubble tea shop in the UK 2026
17/09/2026The VAT rate on a cold bubble tea sold to take away has never been settled. It is a beverage, and beverages are standard-rated, unless the drink counts as tea, in which case it is zero-rated. The Association of Taxation…
T4 bubble tea tops 60 UK sites and seeks franchisees
17/09/2026Taiwanese bubble tea brand T4 UK said it recorded a record month of sales in its latest update, as its estate passed 60 sites across the UK. The company, which franchises through its own recruitment page, said it continues to…
