News in brief
Fifties affront
Bristol City Council has served a second enforcement notice on pizza/pasta restaurant Ask to restore the 1956 frontage on its Park Street eaterie after it added an extension to the Grade II-listed building without planning permission.
Open day on jobs
South-west recruitment agency CRC is holding an open day on 7 May at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth, to offer advice and jobs to current and would-be workers in hotels, pubs or catering. Phone 01404 47733.
RCA opening
The RCA Group is to open a 100-bed "aparthotel" near London's Liverpool Street at the beginning of June. The City Hotel and Apartments will feature 14 bedrooms and 40 apartments at four-star standard.
Circle round-up
The Circle now represents 75 Irish hotels after linking up with the 50-strong Irish Family Hotels group. It also plans to boost its British membership from 160 to 200, launch into France with 60-80 hotels, and tie up with a Dutch group.
Stakis growth
Stakis boosted hotel turnover by £9.8m to £62.9m in its second quarter to 29 March. Room occupancy was 6.1% higher at 71%, average room rates rose by £2.20 to £59.69, and room yield increased by £5.10 to £42.39.
School meals up
The Local Authority Caterers' Association claims the average number of primary school meals served per authority per day grew by 8% to 13,600 in 1997, and by 24% to 6,764 at secondary schools.
