Casual Dining

Can Carluccio's avoid the same fate as Jamie's Italian?

17-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The collapse of Jamie's Italian has put a fresh spotlight on restaurant chains that survived last year's 'casual dining crunch'. Can Carluccio's avoid the same fate?

Friday Five: the week's top news

14-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

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

A Day in the Life: Nisha Katona

14-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The former barrister opened Indian restaurant Mowgli in Liverpool in 2014. The group now operates sites in Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford, Nottingham and Sheffield, with Cardiff, Leicester and Bristol to open this year.

Swiss-inspired restaurant to open in Soho

13-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

A new opening in London’s Soho is calling itself the city’s ‘first modern Swiss-inspired restaurant’.

Jamie Oliver's Gatwick restaurants sold to SSP

13-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The Jamie Oliver restaurant name will live on in the UK following the sale of the chef's three remaining sites to SSP.

The Lowdown: YouGov's British cuisine poll

13-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

A new YouGov poll has revealed which British foods the nation most enjoys… and the results are proving hard to swallow for some people.

Rock star: how Mitch Tonks created a coastal casual dining empire

13-Jun-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

Rockfish, the seafood restaurant group from Mitch Tonks, recently opened its most ambitious site yet in Exeter. And it’ll be spreading its net wider soon.

Chef Thomas Piat to oversee D&D London's City restaurant

13-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Thomas Piat, former executive chef at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London, is to oversee D&D London’s upcoming restaurant in The City.

How I Got Here: Paul Fletcher

12-Jun-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The innovation chef for Bar + Block Steakhouse has a CV that includes Chez Gerard, Scott’s and Argentine steak houses Buenos Aires and Gaucho.

Park Chinois team to launch all-day brasserie concept

12-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

The team behind high-end Chinese restaurant Park Chinois is to launch a new all-day brasserie concept in Mayfair next month.

Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2019: as it happened

11-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards returned to The Hurlingham Club in London last night. Here's a taste of what went on...

Foxlow to close final two sites

11-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Foxlow, the sister restaurant brand to Hawksmoor, is to close its two remaining restaurants in Clerkenwell and Balham at the end of this month.

Polpo: a look back at the past 10 years

11-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

This September Polpo celebrates its 10th anniversary. We chart the past decade of the trailblazing Venetian small plates restaurant group, and look at what could come next.

Jessica Préalpato named World’s Best Pastry Chef

11-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Jessica Préalpato, the head pastry chef at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée in Paris, has been named The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2019 ahead of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in Singapore on 25 June.

Tonkotsu secures £5m funding towards expansion

11-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Ramen restaurant group Tonkotsu is planning further expansion after securing £5m funding from investment firm YFM Equity Partners.

"It's all about inclusivity and community": Pilgrim's founders on their first permanent restaurant

10-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Jamie Duffield, Dave Bone and Anthony Power are the trio behind pop-up restaurant Pilgrim, which launched its first bricks and mortar site in Liverpool’s new Duke Street Market food hall having secured investment through an appearance on BBC Two’s My...

Pitt Cue closes its doors

10-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Renowned London barbecue restaurant Pitt Cue has closed its doors after more than eight years operating in the capital.

Luke Johnson on Patisserie Valerie: "My ego has taken a battering"

10-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Luke Johnson, the former chairman of Patisserie Holdings, has said he considered emigrating following the collapse of the bakery group.

Flat Iron confirms new site this summer as turnover rises

07-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The Flat Iron steakhouse group has confirmed it is planning to open a further London restaurant this summer.

The Lowdown: hands-free dining

06-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Next week restaurant discount scheme Tastecard is launching its first pop-up restaurant, where customers are not allowed to use their hands and instead are fed food and drinks by servers.

Jason Atherton closes Social Wine and Tapas

06-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Jason Atherton has closed his Social Wine and Tapas restaurant in London’s Marylebone.

Line up revealed for Market Halls' intu Lakeside venture

05-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Restaurant brands Burger & Beyond, Curry on Naanstop, Baozilnn, Fanny’s Kebabs, Mother Clucker and Fundi Pizza will open in the third Market Halls venture at intu lakeside.

Latest opening: Gezellig

05-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

With a host of hospitality professionals at the helm and a name that epitomises conviviality, Gezellig positions itself as fine-dining restaurant with the comfort and cosiness of a gastropub... and lots of wine.

Wahlburgers plans to open 15 sites across the UK

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister & Finn Scott-Delany

Casual dining burger and bar brand Wahlburgers is hoping to rapidly expand operations in the UK, BigHospitality’s sister website MCA has learnt.

Restaurant radar: June 2019

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

From Quique Dacosta’s London debut to the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, here are June’s key restaurant openings.

D&D to rent restaurant space to freelancers

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

High-end restaurant group D&D London is to launch a new app in a bid to lure freelancers and self-employed workers looking for somewhere quiet to work.

Chuku's founders reach crowdfunding target

03-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

The sibling founders behind Nigerian pop-up restaurant Chuku’s have raised more than £30,000 through a crowdfunding campaign and are now on track to open their first permanent restaurant.

Red Dog Saloon founder: “There were so many bad barbecue restaurants, people got sick of it”

03-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Tom Brooke launched American restaurant Red Dog Saloon in London in 2011 and has since grown the brand to three sites in the capital and one each in Southampton, Liverpool and Nottingham.

Ooty opens casual concept in Birmingham

03-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Ooty Station, the all-day café and bar concept from the team Indian fine-dining restaurant Ooty, has opened within Selfridges Birmingham as part of a franchise partnership.

Bigger than the Plate: inside the V&A's new food exhibition

03-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

From bioregional canapés to tableware made from cow dung, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new exhibition explores how humans are radically reinventing their relationship with food.

Huge new food market to open in Bishopsgate next year

31-May-2019 By Stefan Chomka

London will become home to yet another huge ‘food hub’ with the opening of The Market in London’s Bishopsgate next year.

Market Halls in line for c.£20m private equity investment

31-May-2019 By Sophie Witts

Market Halls is set to receive a major investment from private equity firm Bridgepoint to support its further expansion.

Coppa Club to open two sites this summer

31-May-2019 By Stefan Chomka

All-day dining restaurant brand Coppa Club has confirmed it will open two new sites this summer as part of its ‘targeted expansion plans’.

Latest opening: Darby’s

31-May-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Robin and Sarah Gill's latest venture is Manhattan-inspired with an Irish heart

Friday Five: the week's top news

31-May-2019 By Sophie Witts

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

The Chilli Pickle closes its Guildford restaurant

31-May-2019 By James McAllister

Renowned Indian restaurant The Chilli Pickle has closed its Guildford site less than a year after it opened.

The Lowdown: E.Mission and the 'Carbon Forkprint’

30-May-2019 By James McAllister

Carbon consultancy firm E.Mission wants restaurants to use its carbon menu analysis and labelling service in a bid to help diners make informed decisions.

Your guide to Imbibe Live 2019

30-May-2019 By James McAllister

Imbibe Live, the UK’s leading event for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade, is returning to Olympia London on 1 and 2 July for its 10th anniversary.

How I Got Here: Millie Simpson

29-May-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The Singapore-born chef will be kitchen manager at the Sauce by The Langham cooking school, which opens on 1 June.

Majority of hospitality professionals believe they are underpaid, says study

29-May-2019 By James McAllister

More than 80% of hospitality professionals believe they are underpaid, according to research carried out by online employment platform CV-Library.

TÁ TÁ Eatery founders to launch katsu sando concept

29-May-2019 By James McAllister

Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng, the Portuguese-Chinese couple behind the long-running and well-received pop-up TÁ TÁ Eatery, are to launch an all-day dining concept in the capital following the launch of their first permanent venture in Shoreditch earlier...

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