Casual Dining

Albion & East to launch fourth venue, in Islington

08-Mar-2019 By Stefan Chomka

A hot-desking space that will have a restaurant, bakery and in-house distillery will open in Islington next month.

The Lowdown: International Women’s Day 2019

08-Mar-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Today (8 March) marks International Women’s Day, the worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements and campaigns for gender equality

Generation Next: Monty's Deli

08-Mar-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

Known for its killer Reubens, the London-based Jewish deli has opened its third site. Co-founder Owen Barratt explains the business’ origins and future plans

How I Got Here: Harneet Baweja

07-Mar-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Born in Kolkata, Harneet Baweja is the restaurateur behind Indian small plates smash hit Gunpowder, which has restaurants in Spitalfields and Tower Bridge.

Sponsored by Nisbets in place

Behind the Brigade at The Ritz: Part Three

07-Mar-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The third episode of our Behind the Brigade series joins The Ritz for a lunchtime service.

Giraffe and Ed's Easy Diner restaurant closures revealed

07-Mar-2019 By James Wallin

The list of Ed’s Easy Diner and Giraffe sites to close under the Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) covering the two brands has been revealed.

Latest opening: Za

06-Mar-2019 By Joe Lutrario

PizzaExpress is out for a slice of the grab-and-go sector with the first major shake-up of its formula in decades.

Flight Club and Bounce owner eyeing major US rollout

06-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

The CEO of Bounce operator Social Entertainment Ventures has said there is potential for the company to open in up to 70 metropolitan areas in the United States.

Pied à Terre owner to open "proper pub" off The Strand

05-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

Restaurateur David Moore is making a move in to the London pub sector after acquiring his next project, The Devereux.

Opening of the month: Ambulo

05-Mar-2019 By Tony Naylor

The Rockingham Group’s first foray into the restaurant world is a clever, all-day affair that offers multiple price points and channels Sheffield’s unpretentious attitude.

Children's meals in restaurant chains are "getting saltier"

05-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant, pub and fast food chains must act to reduce “shocking” levels of salt found in children’s meals, a campaign group has warned.

Larkin Cen to open third Woky Ko restaurant in Bristol

05-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen is to open his third Woky Ko Asian restaurant in Bristol later this month.

Sponsored by QSR Automations

Connecting the dots: all you need to know about back of house tech

04-Mar-2019 By Fiona Griffiths

Name any task that you need to perform in your restaurant – or restaurants – and there will be a technological solution for it.

Boparan to close 27 Ed's Easy Diner and Giraffe restaurants

04-Mar-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is the latest casual dining group to explore entering into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), with the company looking to close 27 of its Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner restaurants.

Steve Richards to step down as Casual Dining Group CEO

04-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

Steve Richards is to step down as CEO of Casual Dining Group (CDG), the operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge, after over five years.

Friday Five: the week's top news

01-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

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

Casual Dining Group focusing on delivery-only brands

01-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

Bella Italia, Las Iguanas and Café Rouge operator Casual Dining Group (CDG) will focus on developing its concessions and delivery-only businesses this year because it has “never been more competitive” for high street restaurants.

Carluccio’s CEO: “We were two weeks from going under”

01-Mar-2019 By Sophie Witts

The CEO of Carluccio’s has said the restaurant group would have folded within two weeks if it had not entered a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) last year.

Fatt Pundit to bring Indo-Chinese food to Soho

01-Mar-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Indo-Chinese restaurant Fatt Pundit will open in Soho’s Berwick Street later this month.

Mike Palmer on Lucky Khao

01-Mar-2019 By Helen Salter

The entrepreneur behind Kemptown Project has launched a Thai barbecue restaurant in the space that was once home to high end dining concept Pike & Pine.

Restaurant sector urged to speed up efforts on sustainability

28-Feb-2019 By Stefan Chomka

UK restaurants need to redouble their efforts to tackle climate change and environmental damage, according to a new report published today (28 February) by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

Emily Watkins to leave The Kingham Plough

28-Feb-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Emily Watkins and her husband and business partner Miles Lampson have sold The Kingham Plough after having spent 12 years at their popular Oxfordshire gastropub.

Loungers "has potential for 500 sites" in the UK

28-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

The chairman of Loungers, the all-day restaurant group, has said the company could grow to up to 500 sites in the UK.

BrewDog to reach 100 bars and expand in to international airports

27-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

BrewDog is to expand to over 100 sites this year, and plans to roll out in to airports internationally.

Yoobi opens in Paris through Deliveroo

27-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

London’s Yoobi sushi restaurant has become the first British brand to expand internationally through Deliveroo, the delivery platform has announced.

Restaurant promising 'Instagrammable' food to open in Fife

27-Feb-2019 By Restaurant

Restaurateur Julie Lewis is to open a second restaurant adjacent to her first venture, in St Andrews in Scotland.

Asia de Cuba to close after 20 years

26-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

London’s St Martin’s Hotel is to close its Asia de Cuba restaurant after 20 years.

Sunny Hodge on why Diogenes the Dog is a different kind of wine bar

26-Feb-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The former Margot assistant restaurant manager has opened a south London wine bar that champions less obvious wine-producing regions and styles.

Chef Masterclass: Bossam by Jinjuu's Judy Joo

26-Feb-2019 By Bill Knott

The Jinjuu chef shares her version of the classic Korean dish.

Restaurant and pub closures drive rise in insolvency costs

25-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

A rise in restaurant and pub groups entering insolvency drove a 31% increase in Government payouts to laid off staff last year.

Casual dining bubble bursts as number of restaurants falls

25-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

The number of casual dining restaurants in Britain fell for the first time in nine years in 2018.

Flash-grilled: Karen Gruet

22-Feb-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The assistant restaurant manager at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire was recently named the winner of the 2019 Gold Service Scholarship.

Friday Five: the week's top news

22-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

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

Chop Bloc in Chelmsford relaunches as Grays Yard

22-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

The brothers behind Chop Bloc, the specialist steak restaurant in Chelmsford, have relaunched as the site as Grays Yard with a menu designed to broaden its appeal.

Basque cookery school Mimo is coming to London

22-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Spanish cookery school Mimo is to open its first UK outpost in London's Borough Market next month.

How I Got Here: Charlie Gilkes

21-Feb-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Charlie Gilkes is the co-founder of Inception Group, an eclectic collection of London bars and restaurants that includes Cahoots and Bunga Bunga.

Specialist sausage restaurant set for London

21-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

A gourmet sausage restaurant with a menu "curated by top-rated chefs” is to launch in London at the beginning of March.

Just Eat gives ultimatum to restaurants with zero hygiene rating

21-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Just Eat has resolved to remove restaurants and takeaways with food hygiene practices that are not up to scratch from its platform after an investigation last October found a plethora of zero-rated outlets on the delivery app.

Brighton's Silo restaurant could finally be opening in London

20-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Brighton’s Silo looks like it is finally coming to London after an earlier false start when plans to open in east London failed to materialise.

A third of diners admit to being no-shows in restaurants

20-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

Just over a third of UK diners say they have failed to turn up for a reservation without telling the restaurant, according to research from OpenTable.

Big Mamma Group: "We're probably the least Brexit-compatible restaurant in the UK"

20-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Big Mamma Group’s inaugural launch in London this Friday is either “extremely brave or extremely stupid”, one of the co-founders has admitted.

Northcote sold to Stafford London owner Britannia Hospitality

19-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Britannia Hospitality has bought Northcote Hotel and its associated businesses in Blackburn for an undisclosed price.

What's on at The Casual Dining Show 2019

19-Feb-2019 By Restaurant

The Casual Dining Show returns this month at it's new home at London's Excel.

Hitting the bottle: sector concerned about recycling proposals

19-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

New environmental initiatives to encourage recycling and reduce plastic pollution has heightened anxiety in the hospitality sector at a time when it is already battling with the uncertainties of Brexit.

D&D London targets young people with major recruitment drive

18-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

D&D London will launch an initiative to encourage young adults into hospitality later this month.

My Million Pound Menu's Bubble& to open cafe bar

18-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

My Million Pound Menu contestants Bubble& will open a cafe bar at chef Atul Kochhar's Amersham restaurant Hawkyns later this month.

Giggling Squid appoints advisors to consider options

15-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

Thai restaurant group Giggling Squid has appointed advisors to explore options for its next stage of growth.

Pint Shop looking to trial smaller model after Oxford closure

15-Feb-2019 By Andrew Don

Pint Shop is mulling a new smaller format for future expansion following the failure of its full-size Oxford branch.

Friday Five: the week's top news

15-Feb-2019 By Sophie Witts

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

Latest opening: Jinli Central Cross

15-Feb-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Chengdu-born restaurateur Yi Fei has opened his flagship restaurant in Chinatown's Central Cross development.