Buffalo Wild Wings Spices Up the Joint

Once again, Buffalo Wild Wings (Nasdaq: BWLD) has defied the recession to report an impressive quarter.
Second-quarter net income increased 24.2%, to $7 million, or $0.39 per share. Revenue surged an impressive 32.4%, to $129.6 million. Same-store sales increased 2.8% and 3.7% at company-owned and franchise locations, respectively. Furthermore, Buffalo Wild Wings' franchise royalties and fees jumped 14%, to $11.9 million. In short, the company made a good showing all around
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http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/07/28/buffalo-wild-wings-spices-up-the-joint.aspx

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 27, 2009-- Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), announced today financial results for the second quarter ended June 28, 2009. Highlights for the second quarter versus the same period a year ago were:
Total revenue increased 32.4% to $129.6 million
Company-owned restaurant sales grew 34.6% to $117.8 million
Same-store sales increased 2.8% at company-owned restaurants and 3.7% at franchised restaurants
Net earnings increased 24.2% to $7.0 million from $5.6 million, and earnings per diluted share increased 25.8% to $0.39 from $0.31

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http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=146403&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1312504&highlight=

Kona Grill Reports Second Quarter Results

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kona Grill, Inc. (Nasdaq:KONA), an American grill and sushi bar, today reported results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2009.
Second Quarter 2009 Highlights Include:
* Opened restaurant in Woodbridge, New Jersey
* Restaurant sales increased 9.1% to $21.5 million
* Same-store sales decreased 9.5%
* Restaurant operating profit margin of 18.4%

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http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=191864&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1313153&highlight=

Panera Bread Reports Q2 EPS of $0.65

HIGHLIGHTS
- Q2 2009 net income up 28% over Q2 2008
- Q2 2009 operating margin up 140 bps over Q2 2008
- Q2 2009 system-wide comparable bakery-cafe sales flat, net of the Easter impact
- Company-owned comparable bakery-cafe sales up 2.8% for the first 27 days of Q3 2009
- Q3 2009 EPS target set at $0.55 to $0.59 (up 22% to 31% versus Q3 2008)
- FY 2009 EPS target tightened to $2.60 to $2.68 (up 17% to 21% versus FY 2008 with one less week)

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http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/er-20090728.pdf

Interstate Hotels & Resorts Successfully Appeals NYSE Ruling

ARLINGTON, Va., July 27, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts (OTC Bulletin Board: IHRI), a leading hotel real estate investor and the nation's largest independent hotel management company, today announced that the company has successfully appealed a NYSE ruling in March under which Interstate's stock was suspended from trading for failing to meet the minimum $15 million market capitalization requirement. The NYSE has now determined that Interstate's stock will resume trading on Wednesday, July 29 under its previous symbol IHR

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http://www.ihrco.com/INVESTORRELATIONS/PressReleases/tabid/81/Default.aspx

Station Casinos Files for Bankruptcy as Talks Fail

July 28 (Bloomberg) -- Station Casinos Inc., taken private by Colony Capital LLC and management in 2007, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to reach agreement with unsecured creditors on a plan for a prepackaged court restructuring.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ac4S_5jCdJIo

DORCHESTER HOTEL GROUP BOOKS IN AT THE TOP

DORCHESTER Group, the deluxe hotel chain which owns the iconic Dorchester hotel on London’s Park Lane, has bucked the economic downturn by posting a 12 per cent increase in revenues to £259.4 million in 2008.
The group is owned by the oil-rich state of Brunei which took a £20 million dividend from the business, up from just £1 million in 2007 according to the latest accounts filed with Companies House.

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http://www.express.co.uk/money/view/116538/Dorchester-hotel-group-books-in-at-the-top-

Jurys raises £60m worth of funding for expansion plans

Hotels chain Jurys Inn has said it has secured £60 million in funding to support further growth in the UK.
The mid-market operator, which has 21 hotels in the UK and seven in Ireland, attracted £15m each from major shareholders — the Oman Investment Fund and investment business Quinlan Private — with the remainder in debt.

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/jurys-raises-pound60m-worth-of-funding-for-expansion-plans-14433468.html

UK Hotel bankruptcies soaring on recession

The full impact the recession has had on the UK's hotel industry was laid bare today by new figures showing that sector insolvencies soared 120% since last June.
Research by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers also showed that 90 hotels have already failed in the first half this year, compared with 36 in the first six months of last year, a rise of 150%.

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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23724259-details/article.do?ito=newsnow&

Hotels price war rattles chains

For Miles Cheetham the price war among Britain’s hotel chains has been a godsend. “Sometimes it makes a difference whether I should do a trip or kill it. Or whether I should go on my own or two of us should go,” said the director at The Key Revolution, a technology start-up.
To date, Cheetham has not managed to snag any of the ultra-cheap deals – £60 is his usual going rate – but he was happy when, on a recent business trip to Dublin, he secured a room for €80 overlooking Trinity Square that would normally cost €300 (£260).

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http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article6727576.ece

Macau’s New Leader Raises Prospect of Casino Revival

July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Macau’s new leader Fernando Chui says China will help the casino hub develop, which may boost operators including Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. that were hurt last year by mainland travel restrictions.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601205&sid=a0znh1yrbw7g

Whitbread to dispose of four top pubs

Whitbread has placed four high-quality pubs on the market as part of plans to restructure its estate.
The company, which owns the Premier Inns, Brewers Fayre and Beefeater brands, is disposing of the pubs as part of plans to focus on its properties that offer hotel accommodation.

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http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=64633&c=1

Hard Rock hotel expands as Vegas rates stay down

LAS VEGAS -- As a 490-room tower opens at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino just east of the Las Vegas Strip this week, hotel operators citywide are struggling to fill existing rooms and staggering at the prospect of 10,000 more coming online this year and next.
"It's (the) wrong place, wrong time," said Randy Fine, a former Harrah's Entertainment Inc. vice president and the founder of Fine Point Group, a casino marketing and consulting firm based here. "They want to turn a boutique property into a mega-resort. This is probably not the time to be doing that."

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http://www.miamiherald.com/business/breaking-news/story/1158477.html

Chains, franchisees square off over discounted menu items

(July 27, 2009) The recession-driven rush to grease sales with promotions and value deals is leading to mounting frictions between franchisors and franchisees.
Brands such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Quiznos, Subway, Popeyes and KFC all have recently found themselves working to restore the delicate balance between the franchisor’s need to drive traffic and the franchisee’s need to protect margins.

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http://www.nrn.com/article.aspx?id=370304

Starwood Hotels & Resorts - HOT

We maintain our Sell rating on shares of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide (NYSE: HOT - News). The shares have climbed significantly since bottoming out in early March.
Industry fundamentals have continued to deteriorate, with year-to-date weekly revenue per available room, or RevPAR, down nearly 20% versus the year-ago period

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Starwood-Hotels-Resorts-zacks-1312077355.html?x=0