Casual Dining

Greene King sold to Hong Kong property giant for £2.7bn

20-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Loch Fyne owner Greene King has agreed to be bought by Hong Kong’s richest family in a £2.7bn deal.

Sri Lankan-focused restaurant to open in Soho

20-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

A restaurant focused on ‘the bold and unapologetic flavours of Sri Lankan home-cooking’ is to open in Soho this autumn.

Public spirited: the new wave hotels ripping up the restaurant rule book

20-Aug-2019 By Tony Naylor

A new wave of hotels and aparthotels are turning their restaurants and lobbies into vibrant community venues.

Darwin & Wallace set to open eighth site

19-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Independent neighbourhood-style bar group Darwin & Wallace is set to open its eighth London location, launching on the waterfront in Canary Wharf this October.

Gather & Gather caterer sold to CH&CO

19-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Contact caterer CH&CO has acquired Mitie Catering, the owner of Gather & Gather and Creativeevents.

Cabana's London restaurants saved as administrators called in

19-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Restaurateur Jamie Barber has bought five of his Cabana restaurants out of administration, but the group's remaining sites outside London have closed.

18 restaurants close per week as sector continues to feel the heat

19-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Britain’s restaurant numbers have fallen for the sixth quarter in a row with restaurants closures now running at a net average of 18 per week.

Friday Five: the week's top news

16-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

We round-up some of the top hospitality stories you might have missed this week

No deal Brexit 'could wipe £5.4bn off the UK eating out market'

16-Aug-2019 By Stefan Chomka

A no deal Brexit could wipe up to £5.4bn off the forecasted value of the UK’s eating out market, according to economic estimates by MCA Insight.

New conference Drink Tank is on the search for innovative new products

16-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Prospective drinks suppliers and innovative start-ups are being given the opportunity to pitch their concepts to key trade delegates as part of a new industry conference.

The Lowdown: Black Food Festival

15-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Next month, London will play host to an international festival showcasing black foods from across the world.

NZ wine expert Mel Brown to open Brixton wine shop and bistro

15-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

New Zealand-born chef and new world wine expert Melanie Brown is to launch an all-day bistro and wine shop in Brixton later this year.

Eggslut is eyeing 10 locations across the UK in the coming years

15-Aug-2019 By Stefan Chomka

US-based casual dining brand Eggslut is looking to open around 10 restaurants in the UK in the coming years following the launch of its debut UK site in London’s Notting Hill.

Black Bear Burger hunts down Brixton Village site

14-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

High profile street food operator Black Bear Burger has secured its first permanent restaurant space, in Brixton Village.

Latest opening: Flor

14-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

James Lowe and John Ogier’s follow-up to Lyle’s is stripped back and buzzy with an accessibly priced menu that takes its cues from the buvettes of Paris and the pintxos bars of San Sebastián.

Harrods to open H Café in Henley

14-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Harrods is to open its first stand-alone café in Market Place, Henley, this October.

Vegan-focused café and restaurant concept to open in London

13-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

A restaurant that claims to ‘reimagine plant-based dining to cater to all’ is to launch as part of a new lifestyle concept store opening at London’s Embassy Gardens next month (9 September).

Eat Game Awards 2019 open for nominations

13-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurants and pubs are being encouraged to put game dishes on the menu as nominations open for the Eat Game Awards 2019.

Dishoom on lookout for new sites after profits rise

13-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Dishoom says it remains on the lookout for new restaurant sites after profits more than doubled last year.

Parental guidance for hip indies

13-Aug-2019 By Tony Naylor

Hip independent restaurants often treat children with a passive-aggressive indifference. It’s time to chill out and embrace family life.

Soren Jessen's Borealis restaurant closes

12-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Nordic restaurant Borealis, which opened close to Borough Market in southeast London in August last year, has closed.

Homeslice Pizza founder leaves the business

12-Aug-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

Homeslice Pizza founder Ry Jessup has left the restaurant business, BigHospitality's sister site MCA reports.

Final Jamie Oliver restaurant sites sold off

12-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

The final sites which traded as part of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group have now been sold following its collapse earlier this year.

Inamo seeks equity partner to support expansion

12-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Inamo, the technology-driven restaurant group, is seeking an equity partner to support its next stage of expansion.

Zia Lucia team to launch pasta concept

09-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

The team behind neighbourhood-style pizzeria Zia Lucia is looking to make its mark on London’s burgeoning accessibly-priced pasta restaurant scene with the launch of a new concept.

Drink Tank launched to give operators better liquid insight

09-Aug-2019 By Restaurant

Drink is a vital part of the on-trade market, but is your business making the most of the opportunity this fast changing market offers?

Haya to open in Notting Hill

09-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Former Dinner by Heston Blumenthal chef Oren King is to oversee the kitchen at a new neighbourhood-style Mediterranean restaurant opening in London’s Notting Hill this September.

Friday Five: the week's top news

09-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

We round-up some of the top hospitality stories you might have missed this week

The training restaurant that teaches mindset as well as skills

09-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

With London restaurants struggling to find chefs, the capital’s catering colleges are once again feeling the heat. Could student restaurant OKN1 in Hackney, which focuses on preparing chefs for the psychological rigours of the workplace, hold the answer?

Deliveroo 'rescue team' to offer restaurants dark kitchen space

08-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Deliveroo has hired a team to identify ‘struggling’ restaurants and offer them space in its delivery-only Editions kitchens.

The Lowdown: Theresa the robotic waitress

08-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Tea room and restaurant chain The Tea Terrace claims to be the first in the UK and Europe to order in a robotic waitress to serve its customers.

Byron to trial redesign and brunch at original London restaurant

08-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Byron is to use its original London restaurant as a test bed for a wider revamp of the business, including a trial of its first brunch menu.

UK eating out market growing at slowest rate in seven years

07-Aug-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The eating and drinking out market is set to grow 1.3% to £91bn in 2019, the slowest rate of growth in seven years.

A Day in the Life: Camino founder Richard Bigg

07-Aug-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The founder of Spanish restaurant group Camino oversees four restaurants as well as Bar Pepito and two music-focused Big Chill bars, all based in London.

OpenTable and Quandoo to integrate restaurant bookings

06-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

Rival restaurant booking sites OpenTable and Quandoo have agreed a deal that will allow their restaurant partners to be booked across both platforms.

Dip & Flip closes Brixton restaurant

06-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

London restaurant group Dip & Flip has closed its Brixton site after three years of trading.

Judy Joo announces departure from her Korean restaurant Jinjuu

02-Aug-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Chef Judy Joo has announced that she has left Jinjuu, the Korean restaurant she opened in London’s Soho in early 2015.

Friday Five: the week's top news

02-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

We round-up some of the top hospitality stories you might have missed this week

UKHospitality stresses need to promote late-night sector across UK after Manchester blueprint unveiled

02-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has welcomed Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s blueprint for its night time economy, and has called on mayoral authorities around the UK to adopt similar strategies.

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele to open second restaurant, in Soho

02-Aug-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Pizza restaurant L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele is to open a second site in London, in Soho.

The Lowdown: Tom Kerridge's pub programme

01-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Chef and publican Tom Kerridge will headline a new primetime TV show on BBC Two about British pubs that are under threat.

Tattu expanding operations to Scotland with launch of Edinburgh restaurant

01-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

UK-based contemporary Chinese restaurant group Tattu is to expand operations north of the border with the launch of its Edinburgh site later this year.

Life after fraud claims and closures: what next for Patisserie Valerie?

01-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

The closure of a further 14 Patisserie Valerie stores last month indicates the bakery group’s troubles are far from over. Can its new owners secure its place on the high street?

Opening of the month: Arcade Food Theatre

31-Jul-2019 By James McAllister

Centre Point’s Arcade Food Theatre may appear at first glance to just be a ritzier addition to the capital’s booming food hall movement, but with its eclectic mix of restaurant operators the reality is something far more refined.

Restaurant radar: August 2019

30-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Eggslut attempts to crack the London market, Cyrus Todiwala wants to bring something different to Leicester's Indian restaurant scene and Matt Gillan opens new West Sussex venue - here are the big openings for August.

SRA's Foodprint to tackle 'insufficient' industry uptake of green initiatives

30-Jul-2019 By James McAllister

The speed at which restaurants are adopting greener and more sustainable policies, including introducing more vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menus, has so far been insufficient, according to the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).