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McDonald’s opens third Darlington drive-thru after repeated delays
22/09/2026McDonald's opens its third Darlington restaurant on 23 September 2026, a drive-thru on the Faverdale Industrial Estate that has slipped three times since construction began in March 2025. The brand has not named the operator, so whether the site joins…
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…
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,…
Mothercare warns on solvency as Middle East partner closes stores
21/09/2026Mothercare has told the market its longer-term solvency is highly uncertain, after its leading Middle East franchise partner said it expects to close the substantial majority of its Mothercare stores during 2027. The AIM-listed company, which holds no shops of…
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have pledged to restore VAT refunds for overseas visitors shopping in Great Britain, five years after the scheme was withdrawn.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…
Joules to open four new stores after administration
18/09/2026Fashion and homeware retailer Joules is to open four shops, in Northallerton, Harrogate, Basingstoke and Gretna, taking its estate to around 57 sites. The expansion marks a new stage in the chain's recovery since it collapsed into administration in November…
Auntie Anne’s opens its 50th UK and Ireland site in Eastbourne
18/09/2026Auntie Anne's opened its 50th UK and Ireland store at The Beacon in Eastbourne on Saturday 12 September 2026, the halfway mark towards a stated target of 100 sites by 2030. Sales across the estate rose 14% to £15.2 million…
KFC franchisee Gastronomy opens its 50th restaurant in Shrewsbury
18/09/2026Gastronomy opened its 50th KFC restaurant on Monday 14 September 2026, at Hazledine Park in Meole Brace, in the town where the franchisee has kept its head office since the 1990s. The drive-thru created 38 jobs and takes the group's…
