Oakley Court hotel up for sale
Queens Moat Houses, the hotel company controlled by Goldman Sachs’s Whitehall Street property arm, has placed Oakley Court hotel in Windsor, Berkshire, on the market through Christie & Co with an asking price of more than £50m. – The Times, 30 September

Two customers shot in McDonald’s
Two youths aged 17 were seriously wounded by a gunman who opened fire in a crowded McDonald’s. One was shot in the chest and the other in the arm when the attacker opened fire in the restaurant in Brixton, South London. Diners, including mothers clutching small children, poured out of the restaurant screaming. – The Times, 30 September

Café Rouge and Bella Italia look to flotation

Tragus Holdings, the owner of the Café Rouge and Bella Italia restaurant chains, has appointed Close Brothers, the corporate finance house, to advise it on its strategic options, including a £200m-plus stock market flotation. – The Times, 30 September

Chez Gérard and Caffe Uno sold for £107.5m
PPM Capital, the private equity firm, yesterday acquired Paramount, owner of the Chez Gérard and Caffé Uno chains, for £107.5m from Dawnay Day. – The Times, 30 September

Chinese restaurant chain set for further expansion
Tasty, the dim sum restaurant chain floated on AIM in July at 52p a share, is raising £3m through a share placing at 93p to accelerate expansion and establish a central kitchen. – The Times, 30 September

Smoking ban forecast to close Scottish pubs this winter
Hundreds of marginally profitable pubs in Scotland face a bleak winter as the smoking ban starts to hit profits for the first time since it was introduced in March. Industry sources predict that scores of licensed premises, particularly in rural areas, could be forced to close down. – Sunday Herald, 1 October

Call to ban burger vans from school gates
One of the world’s leading authorities on obesity has called on councils to ban burger vans from parking outside school gates. Professor Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, said healthy meal initiatives were being undermined by snack vans selling fatty foods and sugary drinks near schools. – Sunday Times (Scottish edition only), 1 October

 

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