Hey Hot Potatoes,

Welcome to the latest edition! I can't believe February is almost over — the shoots of spring are nearly here and it's been a full-on month. One highlight is seriously standing out though, and it comes in the shape of triangles and squares. I'm talking about the newly opened Vincenzo's in Shoreditch - they are producing the best pizza I've had in a long time and I couldn't recommend it more.

In today's newsletter we're shining a light on the small hospitality brands making a big impact right now, unpacking the latest consumer dining trends from OpenTable, focusing on the founder behind one of the world's most iconic members' club networks and taking a look at the London restaurant growing its own ingredients underground. Let's get into it.

In today’s email: New Openings, Vertical Farming & What Nick Jones Taught Me

Read Time: Approx 3-4 mins

🔥 Hot Off The Press 🔥

This week's round-up shines a light on the small hospitality brands that are winning right now 👇

Sources: Propel Info, MCA Insight, Restaurant Online

🔥 NEW CONCEPTS LAUNCHING: Boom Bap Burger duo Anthony Gaughan and Stephen Bagatti are opening steakhouse MRBL in Leadenhall Market on 3rd March, while Trullo co-owner Conor Gadd makes his solo debut with Italian restaurant and bar Burro in Covent Garden on 11th March

🔥 SMALL BRANDS SCALING UP: PICK.YOUR.OWN. secures their second site in Broadgate next month, introducing breakfast for the first time, TOAST confirms two further openings in Bury St Edmunds and Clacton-on-Sea this spring, family-run Society Cafe opens their seventh site and first in Wales and Deep North opened their fourth site with a new production facility in the North East

🔥 CONCEPT EVOLUTION: Scottish duo Peter McKenna and Kevin Dow are pivoting from fine dining to neighbourhood bistro, relaunching The Gannet as Eleven Fifty Five in Glasgow next week

🔥 REGIONAL INDEPENDENTS ON THE MOVE: Brighton's Raz Helalat has converted Coal Shed into a new pub concept and Chococo made their shopping centre debut at Westfield Stratford City

Data Bite

New OpenTable data paints a clear picture of how British dining habits are shifting in 2026. With 68% of Brits now viewing eating out as a special treat rather than a regular habit, operators are under pressure to justify every visit and value is becoming a key part of that equation, with 54% of consumers calling for more happy hour and promotional offers. Perhaps most interestingly, early-evening dining is quietly on the rise, with a 6% year-on-year increase in bookings between 4–5pm - a trend that forward-thinking operators would do well to get ahead of.

Founder Spotlight of the Month - Nick Jones

Nick Jones is the visionary behind one of the world's most iconic members' club networks and is best known for his time growing Soho House to what we know it as today. He is someone I have looked up to for a while and have huge admiration for.

Before Soho House became a global phenomenon, Nick started his first, lesser-known venture - Over the Top in Fulham. It was a restaurant where the focus was on meats that had different toppings on and didn’t really get off the ground.

His first real success was Cafe Boheme, a bustling brasserie he opened in London's Soho in 1992. It was a taste of what was to come. Just two years later, in 1995, he launched the original Soho House on Greek Street - a private members' club above a pub, designed as a creative refuge for people in film, media and the arts. It started as a single townhouse and has since grown into over 40 Houses across three continents, redefining what a members' club could look and feel like.

Having been to a Q&A talk recently with Nick, he shared 5 important lessons he has learnt along the way:

1. Hospitality is future-proof — AI can replicate many things, but never human connection. As long as people eat, sleep, and drink, great hospitality will always have a place.

2. The Three Ps — A successful hospitality business is centred around the three P’s… Passion, People, Product. Get these right and profit follows.

3. Your product is your best marketing — If you consistently cut corners, people will notice. Nick spoke about how at Soho House, the focus was always on generosity, making sure every guest left feeling like they got more than their money's worth. If you have a great product, people will talk about it and continue to come back.

4. People are everything — Hospitality is, at its core, a people business. Your job as a leader is to empower the people around you and if someone is bringing the team down, act quickly. One bad egg can spoil a lot.

5. Never underestimate a great welcome — At every new Soho House opening, Nick personally greeted and learned the name of every single guest. Making people feel seen from day one is priceless.

Nick left Soho House three years ago and is now sinking his teeth into new ventures as well as investing in new exciting hospitality businesses like The Salad Project and Corner Shop.

Innovation - Underground Vertical Farm at the Orangery

Tucked away on New Oxford Street, The Orangery TCR is doing something few restaurants can claim - growing a significant portion of its own food right beneath your feet.

At the heart of the concept is the West End's first indoor hydroponic farm, built in partnership with Square Mile Farms. Plants are grown in nutrient-rich water under LED lights and despite being entirely underground, the farm cultivates over 35,000 plants - including herbs, kale, sorrel and pak choi - equivalent to 1.1 acres of traditional farmland.

What makes this special is how the farm is woven into the dining experience. Guests dine surrounded by living crops on the walls, while the Chef's Table sits in the basement farm itself — a private dining experience where you're surrounded by the very plants on your plate.

The system uses up to 90% less water than conventional farming, eliminates food miles entirely and means ingredients reach the kitchen just hours after harvest. It's farm-to-table taken completely literally and a brilliant example of what the future of sustainable and innovation in hospitality looks like.

Growth Tip 🔥 Collaborations

Collaborations are one of the most underrated growth tools in hospitality and they don't need to be complicated. You don't need a tie-up with a global fashion brand or a celebrity chef. It could be as simple as a pop-up at your local gym to reach new fitness enthusiasts, or a limited menu item developed with a supplier you genuinely love. The key is finding brands or businesses that share your audience and your values. Done well, collaborations expand your reach, create memorable moments and give people a reason to talk about you.

That's a wrap on this edition of Hot Potato!

If something resonated, felt useful, or sparked an idea - I'd genuinely love to hear from you. And if there's a topic you want me to dig into next time, hit reply and let me know.

Until next edition.

Bon appétit,

Max Shipman, Founder, Hot Potato

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