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While the United States overall had private business growth, Pierce County lost 10% of local firms between 2019 & 2023 (BLS data). https://lnkd.in/guCT_3eS How can we assist startups to survive & grow local enterprises?

Urban Pubs and Bars Urban Pubs & Bars to reopen former east London JD Wetherspoon site after it was saved from closure: Urban Pubs & Bars, the London pub operator founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual, is to reopen the George & Dragon pub in Wanstead, east London, in the new year after it was saved from closure. The pub, originally named The George & Dragon but recently trading as The George, faced a permanent shutdown when its previous operator, JD Wetherspoon, closed the doors. With the prospect of the site being sold to property developers, a petition to save the pub, which was first opened in 1716, was launched and spearheaded by local councillor Paul Donovan. The campaign was further supported by letters from local MP Calvin Bailey to both Wetherspoon and the pub’s freeholders. The campaign's success was sealed when Urban Pubs & Bars, the 52-strong group, stepped in to save the venue. The group has pledged to invest £1.3m in a refurbishment programme. The George & Dragon is expected to reopen in mid-January, creating 60 jobs, including the return of more than a dozen former staff members. Chris Hill, managing director of Urban Pubs & Bars, said: “Saving The George & Dragon is exactly what Urban Pubs & Bars is about – celebrating London’s pub culture, supporting local communities, and preserving historic venues. We’re thrilled to not only preserve this historic pub but to celebrate its legacy with the people who fought so hard to keep it. We look forward to engaging further with the community, supporting local events, and building on the traditions of this remarkable venue.”

Urban Pubs and Bars, the London pub operator founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual, is to begin expanding its competitive socialising concept Bat & Ball. The 53-strong group will open the 12,000 square-foot venue in Covent Garden in mid-March for the concept’s second site. 👉 For the full version of this story and to read it first sign up to the Propel email newsletter for free: https://lnkd.in/eyy_THzR

So Downtown Tacoma has lost another coffee shop and another bar. Dancing Goats Coffee closed their doors and Blue Rose closed theirs right after. Add to that list, Stanford’s steakhouse is also gone as is Bobalust down on Dock Street. Edit: Unique Bakery & Coffee is also closed. Here’s the thing. These spots got open in Tacoma in 2022. It’s not like they were around forever and maybe things had just run their course, these were new-to-downtown spots. I get it, these types of businesses don’t typically last long as it is. However, It really pisses me off to see this happening because I can’t help but feel like to some degree, the business owners were duped. Sure, they should do their homework but I believe they were sold on an idea of Downtown Tacoma being something it’s not from the people who know better. I’ll repeat that yes every entrepreneur should do their homework to understand the opportunity Downtown Tacoma can or cannot be, but I believe the monstrosity of uncertainty the pandemic was, landlords and agents rushed to sign leases and did so knowing the true dynamics around Downtown Tacoma. Downtown Tacoma is a unique and special place. It’s a small town in a big city body. It’s just not a place that can actually support 20 coffee shops, 4 steakhouses, and umpteen bars. There has to, at some point be a real diversity around the types of places that open up in town. I’m not sure how that happens, but it should be the focus if we really want a vibrant downtown.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? Mela's Cafe | https://wix.to/NS0XzeM #naplesnews #realestateblog #movingtonaples #realestatenews #intheknow #naplesintheknow #realtor #realestateagent #naplesrealtor #newnaplesbusiness #newintheneighborhood #newblogpost

"Yellow Bee Market and Cafe Now Open at Cypress Apartment Building" Read the full article below..

Georgina Crouth from The Daily Maverick recently spoke to Ben Bettendorf, the co-owner of Obi sushi restaurant, about how he’s using reservation deposits to combat the damage caused by no-shows when you can’t rely on foot traffic to fill openings. “At the beginning, no-shows were a big problem, especially with the bigger bookings or if they showed up with far less people than expected,” Ben explains. “We’re a tiny restaurant and if we booked a table and it was a no-show, that meant it was unavailable for other guests for the whole evening, so we’d lose out on business.” In her detailed piece, Georgina crunches the numbers: “Imagine if your 50-seater restaurant is dependent on half its business from foot traffic, the other half from reservations. At an average spend of R400 (conservatively), if about 10% of reservations are no-shows, you could be down R2,000 daily. Taken over a five-day week, you don’t need a maths brain to see how that could add up.” Love them or hate them, cancellations and no-shows can significantly hurt a restaurant’s revenue. This is why more South African restaurateurs are adopting a booking deposit policy. And before you feel it's unfair as a guest, most restaurants with deposit policies offer reasonable cancellation windows (often 2-3 days) with a full refund. This gives everyone enough time to adjust plans and fill the open table – a win-win.

Time, please Government statistics show that on average 50 pubs a month in England and Wales closed their doors for the final time in the first half of 2024. Pubs have a long and storied history in the UK, stretching back over a thousand years. They are a central part of British culture and identity. Their origins can be traced to Roman taverns and Anglo-Saxon alehouses, where locals would gather to drink ale and cider. By the Middle Ages, these establishments had evolved into inns and public houses, where travellers would rest and refresh themselves. Over time, pubs became a cornerstone of community life, serving not just as places to drink but as venues for socialising, exchanging news and conducting business. As Britain industrialised, the number of pubs grew, particularly in urban areas where they became a focal point for working-class social life. Local pubs became part of the fabric of communities, often tied to specific trades, sports clubs or even political movements. The pint is as much a part of British pub culture as the pub itself. A pint has been a legally defined unit of measure since 1698. It is though much more than a unit of measure. There’s something distinctly British about ordering "a pint"—it’s not just about the volume, it’s the ritual of sharing a drink. The glass itself - sturdy yet simple - is there to be held, clinked and refilled. A pint is part of what makes a pub a pub. While many countries serve beer in smaller or varied sizes, the British pint (568 ml) is a symbol of consistency and tradition. Its continued use underscores the enduring appeal of pub culture and the importance of preserving age-old customs in a rapidly changing world. Pubs and pints remain a defining part of British identity. Even in an age of global chains, homogenised hight streets and modern bars, the traditional pub—with its wooden interiors, cosy corners, and familiar faces—remains a beloved British institution. And though pubs are closing at an alarming rate, it’s too soon to call last orders.

Quick sale of famous Scottish city pub amid ‘strong demand’ in sector A well-known Scottish city pub has been sold after only three months on the market. Article: https://lnkd.in/e9df_iN5 #pubsandclubs #restaurants Smith and Clough Business Associates

Great idea! "Some US bars and eateries are banning 20-somethings: Can it become a widespread practice?". "When Mr Johnny B. Barounis opened The Auction House in New York’s Upper East Side in 1993, he knew he wanted to deter a certain type of customer in their early 20s – in his words, “those kids that had their flannel shirts tied around their waists, wearing their Villanova hats backwards, walking around in the street with their Amstel Light in their hand”. He deliberately cultivated an atmosphere at his bar that he felt might intimidate a fresh-out-of-college 20-something: rich velvet drapes, crystal chandeliers, antique furniture. On Fridays and Saturdays, the message was more explicit: Only patrons 25 and older were allowed in the door. “I didn’t need a 21-year-old to come in with two of his friends, to make a ruckus and then get sick in the bathroom,” Mr Barounis says. Mr Barounis says his age policy was rare back then, and some at the time questioned his decision to keep out younger customers. Three decades later, the bar is something of an institution – and the 25-and-up policy on weekends was so well received that he implemented it at his sister bar, The Back Room. Today, plenty of bars and lounges around the US impose similar – if not stricter – age restrictions, hoping to curb unruly behaviour sometimes exhibited by newly legal drinkers and appeal to an older crowd." They should definitely do that here in Singapore! Bars that ban kids and anyone under 25! Bars would then make more profit as they would have people who wanted to drink and eat and not share all their food and order tap water! Metallica gigs felt like this. 90% of people there were over 50 and drinking merrily without any trouble whatsoever. We should bring in this policy into bars and restaurants here, ban under 25s!😏 What do you think?😏 If you’re a B2C entrepreneur and would like help finding new high net worth clients our Ultimate LinkedIn marketing and personal branding service can do this for you, our premium and highly recommended service details are here on this LinkedIn SmartLink: https://lnkd.in/dqWRi6EZ https://lnkd.in/g2SSxy-W