Popeyes, the popular fried chicken quick-service restaurant, has partnered with travel catering company SSP Group to launch a series of new locations across UK transport hubs.

The rollout will kick off this summer with the launch of the American fast-food brand’s first location at Birmingham Airport.

The airport location will serve Popeyes’ full-day menu for both dine-in and takeaway, along with the brand’s newly introduced breakfast offerings.

Menu highlights include the signature Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.

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Quick-service sushi roll brand SushiDog is set to open its tenth London location by the end of the month, marking a milestone in its continued expansion across the capital.

Nick Goldstein, co-founder of SushiDog, announced on LinkedIn (7 April) that the brand has reached a milestone with the opening of its tenth and largest site to date, located in London’s Fitzrovia. He described it as “a particularly special day” as the business celebrates hitting double digits in store count.

He added that he and his co-founder Greg Ilsen “have come a long way from packing a van back in 2018 and driving all our kit to Westfield to open Site 1”.

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Boss Pizza aims to launch over one UK location per month for the next 18 months, with plans to expand to more than 70 venues within the next three years.

The chain is actively seeking franchise partners as it aims to shake up the market with its large, budget-friendly takeaway pizzas.

The company has announced plans to open 20 new locations over the next 18 months, followed by an additional 50 sites within three years.

Boss Pizza currently operates three branches—in Hamilton.

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Wafflemeister has been ranked as the third fastest-growing UK company in the food and beverage sector by the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2025.

The company has been ranked the third fastest-growing company in the UK, following Simmer Eats and KCS, the sixth fastest-growing in the food and beverage sector across Europe, and 148th across all industries.

This marks Wafflemeister’s first appearance on the list, joining fellow UK companies like Knoops, Wild Cosmetics, Wingstop, and Dash Water.

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Wendy's burger chain has unveiled its UK expansion strategy, aiming to bring its brand to more consumers across the country. The company is on course to open its 50th restaurant in the UK.

As part of its 2025 expansion plans, Wendy's will establish a presence in Scotland for the first time.

Michael Clarke, Managing Director, Europe for The Wendy’s Company said of the plan for increased openings: “We see huge potential in the UK market, with plans to add more than 150 new restaurants across the UK and surrounding countries by 2028.

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Auntie Anne’s UK & Ireland is bringing an exciting new twist to its beloved pretzel range with the launch of Biscoff® Nuggets, a delicious limited-time collaboration with the iconic Biscoff® brand.

Launching nationwide on 27th March and available until 18th May, these indulgent nuggets combine Auntie Anne’s signature soft pretzel bites with a generous drizzle of rich Biscoff® sauce, before being finished with a crunchy Biscoff® crumb. The result? A sweet, salty, and utterly irresistible treat that’s set to be a fan-favourite and which carries the Biscoff® approved ‘Created With’ Biscoff® logo.

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Deliveroo has reported its first-ever profit, following a £32 million loss last year.

In its most recent full-year results, the British food delivery company announced a 52% increase in adjusted EBITDA to £130 million, alongside a rise in average order frequency across all annual cohorts at the group level.

The company also reported a £3 million profit for the year, with a 5% revenue growth in constant currency.

Deliveroo noted 'positive signs of consumer engagement' despite facing 'continued macroeconomic uncertainty in major markets.

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Shaftesbury Capital has announced the opening of Noodle & Beer at 27 Wardour Street in Chinatown London, offering an authentic Sichuanese experience in Europe’s top destination for East and Southeast Asian food and culture.

Noodle & Beer now joins a vibrant neighborhood on Wardour Street, alongside popular spots like Pochawa Grill, Kung Fu Noodle, and Chinatown Bakery. With a lively interior and 42 covers spread across two floors, including an intimate dining area in the basement, Noodle & Beer embodies the upbeat, social culture of the Sichuan region.

The menu at Noodle & Beer includes a variety of noodle-based dishes.

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Sandwich Sandwich has appointed Paul Hanna as Chief Operating Officer (COO) as it plans to expand to 25 locations across London over the next five years.

Hanna will collaborate closely with Nick Kleiner, the founder of the Bristol-based brand, and his family to drive the vision and strategy behind Sandwich Sandwich’s expansion plans.

The family-owned business, famous for its deep-filled sandwiches, will open its second London location on 17 March in the City of London, just six months after its debut in the capital.

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Gong Cha, one of the world's fastest-growing bubble tea brands, has secured a franchise deal to launch over 225 stores across the UK in the coming years.

The agreement is expected to generate nearly 2,000 new jobs in the UK and aligns with Gong Cha’s global expansion strategy to reach 10,000 locations by 2032.

Founded in Taiwan in 2006 and headquartered in London since 2019, Gong Cha operates over 2,100 locations across 28 countries.

Gong Cha's teas are fully customisable.

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Bristol-based sandwich specialist Sandwich Sandwich has revealed more details about its second London location, set to open next week.

The 3,500 sq ft location was first announced in November last year.

The Mark Lane location, also situated in the City of London, comes six months after the brand’s London debut in a site previously occupied by salad chain Tossed.

The family-run business Sandwich Sandwich was founded in 2010 by self-taught chef Nick Kleiner on Cotham Road South in Bristol.

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London-based coffee brand Grind is preparing to open its first venue outside of the capital in Gary Neville's forthcoming Manchester development.

Grind's first northern venue is set to open this summer as part of the £400m St Michael's development.

The mixed-use development will also include a 162-bedroom W Hotel, along with Big Mamma’s first Manchester restaurant, known for its viral Italian cuisine.

Grind was founded in 2011 by David Abrahamovitch.

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Bleecker Burger is set to open its seventh location on Baker Street in London this April, continuing its expansion.

The fast food restaurant's newest location comes shortly after the opening of an outlet at Kerb's Seven Dials market last month.

The Baker Street location will feature 28 covers and offer delivery, making it the group's largest site to date.

For the first time in its history.

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Starbucks will cut 1,100 corporate jobs worldwide as part of its new CEO’s turnaround strategy.

Brian Niccol, who joined from Chipotle last year to revive declining sales, stated that the job cuts aim to 'simplify' the business and focus on “priority work” to enhance the customer experience.

“Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” he said.

“All with the goal of being more focused and able to drive greater impact on our priorities.

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Costa Coffee will give a 5% pay rise to baristas across its 1,500 company-owned stores.

From 1 April, over 15,000 hourly-paid team members across the UK will see their starting pay rise from £12 to £12.60 per hour, regardless of age bandings.

This is nearly 40p higher than the new National Living Wage for those aged over 21, which will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 in April.

Costa stated that the £8m investment is part of its commitment to providing staff with a sustainable pay rate amid the rising cost of living.

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Auntie Anne’s, the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel brand, is excited to announce the grand opening of its newest store at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet.

Auntie Anne’s first opening of 2025 will take place on Saturday, 15th February. This location will also debut the brand’s first store concept housed in a converted shipping container.

Auntie Anne’s remains committed to bringing its iconic hand-rolled pretzels to new communities worldwide. The new store at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet will serve a variety of freshly baked pretzels.

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Independent specialty coffee roasters, Bean Coffee, have chosen Wellington Place as their first location in Leeds.

Bean Coffee was scheduled to open at 11 Wellington Place on Thursday, February 13.

In addition to coffee, it will also offer a selection of toasties, baguettes, and pastries.

Paul Pavia, commercial director at MEPC, said: “At Wellington Place, we’re committed to curating a diverse and exciting food and drink offering that cements our position as the number one place to work.

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Pret A Manger has reversed its decision to double the price of its coffee subscription scheme next month.

The coffee chain has assured its Club Pret members that they will still receive 50% off up to five barista-made drinks per day for £5 a month.

The subscription had originally been set to rise to £10 a month starting 31 March.

In an email to subscribers, Pret said: “At Pret, we believe in offering high-quality.

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Daisy Green Collection has suggested possible international expansion following a reported increase in turnover.

The group, which operates 17 cafés, bars, and restaurants across London, stated it is “continuing to invest in new sites in the UK and internationally” as well as the “required teams, infrastructure and processes to support this growth”.

Founded by Prue Freeman and Tom Onions in 2012, Daisy Green offers Australian-style brunch and coffee at locations such as the Peggy Jean barge in Richmond and the 10.

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Coffee group Grind reports that its high street sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the increase in remote working.

The group, which operates five cafes, six coffee shops, and three food trucks in London, saw sales increase by 38% to a record £30 million for the year ending 30 April 2024.

This growth included a 13% increase in sales across its high street locations.

“We are confident this can continue to grow as people slowly come back into the city more often.

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