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Island Poké is launching a brand new and original product line this week with its range of ‘Poké Bao.’ The Poké Bao is the first of its kind, and is shaking up the poké food scene, giving customers a fresh, tasty and handheld way to eat their poké.
The biggest McDonald’s franchisee in the UK, Atul Pathak OBE, has sold out at the legacy brand to join the future of fast-casual dining at German Doner Kebab. Pathak is one of the nation’s most successful franchisee entrepreneurs and has been operating 43 McDonald’s restaurants and employing more than 3,500 staff for nearly two decades.
Premium cat care franchise the Cat Butler, has awarded a new franchise in Oxford. Following redundancy from the customer services training department at British Gas in Oxford, Mark Mentiply (41), has been awarded the Oxford territory of premium cat care franchise, The Cat Butler.
Held bi-annually, the regional meetings bring the network together with TaxAssist Group directors for updates and to share best practice.
Joanne Reid, mum of two from East Lothian, Scotland, has put her caring nature into practice by launching her baby development franchise, Bloom Baby Classes. As a flagship location north of the border, Joanne is looking forward to bringing her passion for baby care and wellbeing to parents living in her own community. Following the sad passing of her son Oran late last year, Joanne hopes to bring care to thousands of parents across the county as she launches next month.
Acclaimed Japanese ramen brand Shoryu Ramen will open their first UK franchised restaurant in August this year with Bowl Life Ltd – a subsidiary of Restaurants Inc. a development vehicle founded by sector investor Krishan Katyal and Dominic Ford to launch new restaurant businesses in the capital. Krishan has partnered with Ford Consultancy Group to develop his business and they will provide the operational and management expertise for the restaurants.
Virtual Hero is headed for huge growth by the end of this year with 200 Sides sites to be launched across the globe. The market leader for delivery-only brands has teamed up with YouTube supergroup, The Sidemen, to create fried chicken brand Sides which is already available across the UK and Middle East.
Russell Borland joined Oven Wizards in September 2020. He has bought the Lanarkshire territory. "When looking for a business opportunity oven cleaning was not initially on my list, but after investigation I realised this offered the advantage of profitable repeat business. Having previously been both a franchisee and franchise manager in other sectors, the Oven Wizards franchise stood out, due to the potential return on investment and work-life balance it offered."
Children’s services franchise Stagecoach Performing Arts has announced the launch of its new global student recruitment campaign. Called ‘A Place To…’ the new messaging has been devised to ensure all children, no matter their ethnicity, background or experience with the arts, feel welcomed and celebrated to be who they want to be.
Sun, sea and pizza is on the menu with the latest Papa John’s store opening in Felixstowe, Suffolk. Amit Pancholi director of business development. Papa John’s UK explains: “Felixstowe is a wonderful coastal town and a great location for our newest store. There's nothing better than the treat of great pizza to share with friends and family right by the seaside!"
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