Openings

Frankly, add Benny's

Italian-American themed chain Frankie & Benny's is opening two restaurants this month, in Edinburgh and Dudley, each with 145 seats. They bring the total number of Frankie & Benny's in the UK to 69, with further openings scheduled this year in Ilford, Chichester and Braintree.

Chelmsford Toad

Eldridge Pope is opening a pub in its Toad chain in Chelmsford on 5 July. The company has spent £1.2m developing the Toad at the River on a former office block site. Manager Andrew Sunderland is overseeing the development and the bar will employ 25 staff.

Spurred into action

Arapaho Spur, a 90-seat steakhouse, has opened in the Two Rivers shopping centre in Staines, Middlesex. Owner Spur Europe BV is a joint venture between Spur Steak Ranches International, which has 200 franchised restaurants in South Africa, and Brighton-based Trinity Leisure.

Red Flag flying here

The Red Flag pub opens in Tufnell Park, London, in late August. The Workers' Beer Company has acquired a nine-year lease on the former Grand Banks pub. The brewery, owned by a branch of the Trades Union Congress, already owns the Bread and Roses pub in south London.

Leeds 4, Spirit 1

Travel Inn opened its fourth hotel in Leeds yesterday (12 June). The 87-bedroom hotel is a joint venture with the managed pub company Spirit Group, which aims to open at least 40 Travel Inns next to Spirit pubs. The hotel will feature a Brown Cow restaurant.