McDonald's customers go into the kitchen
Hamburger chain McDonald's is to run behind-the-scenes tours of some 120 restaurants across the UK in a bid to improve its public image. The "Open Doors" tours, set to run from 18 to 30 October, will show interested customers around the dining rooms and kitchens. They will also find out how McDonald's food is prepared and cooked. UK chief executive Andrew Taylor said: "Open Doors is about building on the relationships we already have with our customers, and re-emphasising to them and others that we are a trustworthy, transparent and quality organisation." The question of what goes into McDonald's products would also be addressed, he added.
Alias owner enjoys 74.5% turnover growth
LHM, the owner of boutique hotel group Alias, has reported a 74.5% increase in turnover in the six months to 30 June. Turnover was boosted by the opening of two new Alias hotels, the Rossetti in Manchester, which opened in October 2002, and the Seattle in Brighton, which opened in February this year. During the period, LHM reduced its pre-tax losses to £61,000, from more than £1m in 2002. The group has recently been granted planning permission for extensions to its Kandinsky hotel in Cheltenham and Barcelona hotel in Exeter, which it expects to begin in spring next year.