Luke Knowles to join Beds and Bars as Retail Training Manager

12 February 2014

Luke Knowles is to join Beds and Bars in the capacity of group Retail Training Manager.

He has worked in the London hospitality industry for three-years after graduating from the University of Bath in 2009. He most recently occupied the position of Assistant General Manager at the Gable in the City of London, for Novus Leisure Ltd.

Keith Knowles, CEO of Beds and Bars said: “We're marking 50-years of my family business and I'm so proud that my son Luke is joining us. He's had apprenticeships with the G1 Group, C&C - which included work in the US and two-years with Novus. Every company he worked with offered him a full time role and every company was sad to see him go. This Dad is a very happy man.”

Luke Knowles added: “I’ve seen Beds and Bars grow into what it is today since I was boy. Now after cutting my teeth with some of the best in the business, I look forward to diving in, with a cross-European focus on retail training. Joining the family business was always the plan. The question was - when was the right time, and at what level to join. When the position of Retail Training Manager became available it made the decision an easy one.

“I knew that in this role, I could add real value to the customer experience and enhance their journey with us – at the St Christopher’s Inns backpacker hostels, Belushi’s bars and traditional pubs, across the estate. Beds and Bars is an exciting, and vibrant company with some of the best minds in the industry. I look forward to growing and developing the future of the company.”

Luke joins the company 24th February.

Beds and Bars operate 23 backpacker hostels, bars and pubs, in eleven cities, across seven countries. Key locations include Barcelona, Berlin, Paris and London.

Last week three of it sites were awarded Hoscars by the global booking engine Hostelword, recognising the businesses in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris, as the most popular in each city.

As of January 2014, after 10 months of the financial year, turnover for Beds and Bars is up 14% on the previous year, in part reflecting the successful opening of the second Paris site in July 2013. Turnover growth on a like for like basis stands at 3.3%. EBITDA for the year to date stands at £3.6 million. This figure is over £1.2 million ahead of the previous year and marks an increase of more than 50%.