Restaurant profits up at Allied Domecq
Trading profit at Allied Domecq's quick-service restaurants was up 26% at £53m in the year to 31 August, the company announced today.
The growth was led by its Dunkin' Donuts stores in the USA, which showed like-for-like sales growth of 6%. Sales at its Baskin-Robbins ice-cream parlours fell, but this was offset by reduced costs.
Outside the USA, Allied's restaurants reported a £3m loss, following the restructuring of loss-making operations earlier in the year.
Overall, group pre-tax profits fell from £615m in 1998 to £579m in 1999.
The results included figures for Allied's pubs in the UK, which were sold to Punch Taverns in September for around £2.7b. Profits in the pubs fell by 13% to £204m
Allied's main business is marketing wines and spirits.
