Fortress puts forward increased offer to acquire Loungers
US-based investment firm Fortress has put forward an ‘increased and final cash offer’ for Loungers of 325p per share, a premium of approximately 4.8% on its previous proposal of 310p.
Casual Dining
Pizza Hut Restaurants owner ‘closing in on rescue deal’
Pizza Hut’s biggest UK franchisee is closing in on a rescue deal that could come as early as Wednesday (15 January).
Chaker Hanna to return to Comptoir Group as CEO in surprise reappointment
Chaker Hanna is to make a surprise return to Comptoir Group having been ousted from the company back in 2022.
Extra_Ordinary restaurant to open in Glasgow on former Nico Simeone site
Australian chef Tobias Fiegel is teaming up with restaurateur Nico Simeone to open a pan-Asian restaurant in Glasgow’s Finnieston later this month.
Latest opening: Super Club Roma
London’s pizza sector has a bright and lively new entrant.
JKS considering employee share scheme as turnover tops £73m
London-based restaurant group JKS has said it is considering the introduction of an employee share scheme to ‘further encourage the involvement of its team members in its financial performance’.
Hero Brands ‘entering exciting period of growth’ as it returns to profit
Hero Brands is back in the black and plotting further expansion with a focus on growing its German Doner Kebab (GDK) and Sides brands ‘significantly’ in the next five years.
Restaurant at-home sales jump 6.2% in November
Britain’s leading restaurant groups achieved like-for-like growth in delivery and takeaway sales for the 18th month in a row in November, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals.
“We were too big for our boots”: The Breakfast Club closes its three-storey Canary Wharf venue
The Breakfast Club has closed its Canary Wharf site after a decade or trading.
Clean Kitchen Club forced to close Battersea site after trading agreement terminated
Vegan focused fast food brand Clean Kitchen Club appears to have ceased trading having been forced to close its restaurant within London’s Battersea Power Station late last year.
Rare Restaurants ‘positive’ for future despite widening losses
Gaucho and M operator Rare Restaurants has said it is ‘continuing to outperform market measures’ with turnover rising above £75m in its latest financial results.
Burger & Lobster to return to the regions with Brighton restaurant
Burger & Lobster will open a restaurant in Brighton’s The Lanes next month, its first new UK site in eight years.
Gobind Chona to launch Indian comfort food restaurant Oorja
The restaurateur behind Covent Garden Asian restaurant Gura Gura will launch an Indian restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue next month.
Geetie Singh: ”Sometimes people just need to put a jumper on”
The owner and founder of ‘organic, radical and ethical’ Totnes pub The Bull Inn on growing up in a Midlands commune, greenwashing, and why her guests should think twice before turning the heat up.
Latest opening: CAFE MONDO
Cult sandwich sellers Jack Macrae and Viggo Blegvad have finally gone permanent with a site on Camberwell’s Peckham Road.
Restaurants report ‘relatively strong performance’ in pre-Christmas trading
Food-led operators reported a ‘relatively strong performance’ in the run-up to Christmas with like-for-like growth of 3.4% in the on-the-go sector and 2.1% in restaurants.
Parogon Group chooses Sutton Coldfield for its third Willow site
Staffordshire-based restaurant and pub operator Parogon Group will bring its Mediterranean-inspired brand Willow to Sutton Coldfield next month marking its first site in the Birmingham area.
Tasty agrees £2.5m insurance claim
Casual dining operator Tasty has agreed an insurance claim relating to losses in 2020.
Berenjak to open third London restaurant
Persian restaurant brand Berenjak is to open a third London site later this year in Mayfair.
Pizza Hut Restaurants ‘in advanced talks’ with potential buyers
Pizza Hut’s biggest UK franchisee is ‘in advanced talks with potential buyers’ as it looks to secure a sale for the business this month.
Le Bab founders to launch Camden pub
Two of the founders of kebab restaurant group Le Bab will launch a ‘brand new old fashioned boozer’ on the former site of Camden Market pub The Farrier early next year.
Latest opening: Nipotina
Samyukta Nair’s latest Mayfair restaurant is her most casual yet offering simple Italian food at surprisingly approachable prices.
Swine that Dines to swap Leeds city centre for Headingley
High-profile Leeds restaurant Swine that Dines will move from the city centre to a larger site in the suburb of Headingley next month.
Hambledon Wine Estate to launch restaurant headed by former Le Manoir chef Nick Edgar
Hampshire’s Hambledon Wine Estate will launch a new restaurant and tasting room early next year.
CGL ‘continuing to assess viability’ of D&D London’s estate amid mounting losses
D&D London operator CGL Restaurant Holdings has said it is continuing to assess ‘the performance and viability’ of its estate after losses rose in its latest financial results.
St Pancras Bar & Brasserie to launch counter dining concept
St Pancras Bar & Brasserie will launch a Kitchen Bar that will offer a separate menu that is focused on raw food early next year.
Pizza Express to make US debut with Florida restaurant
Pizza Express will make its US debut in 2025 with a restaurant in Florida as it looks to ‘fill a gap in the premium pizza market’.
Kevin Styles to step down as Jamie Oliver Group CEO
Kevin Styles is to step down as CEO of the Jamie Oliver Group after nearly two and a half years with the business.
Azzurri Group toasts ‘transformational year’
Azzurri Group has delivered an 18% increase in revenue to £303.1m for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Restaurants see ‘solid sales’ ahead of crunch Christmas
Britain’s leading hospitality groups recorded year-on-year sales growth of 2.7% in November 2024, the latest edition of the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.
Chotto Matte closes its Marylebone site
Chotto Matte has closed its Marylebone restaurant to focus on its Soho flagship and its upcoming Manchester site.
Cost pressures ‘remain a challenge’ as Nando’s cuts losses
Nando’s is plotting further expansion in the UK following a ‘strong sales performance’ in its latest financial results, which saw sales rise and losses reduce.
Latest opening: Bun House Disco
Alex Peffly and Z He’s latest London restaurant is an ode to ‘the hedonistic era of 1980’s Hong Kong’
Ibérica sold out of administration to Camino with three sites closed
Ibérica has shuttered three of its five sites as part of an administration process with the group’s other two restaurants acquired by rival London-based Spanish operator Camino.
Rosa’s Thai swings into loss
Rosa’s Thai has reported a significant increase in sales and adjusted EBITDA For the 53 weeks to 31 March 2024, but has swung to a loss after tax.
Will Sutton and Patrick Withington on the revamp of their renowned Manchester restaurant and wine bar
Having set up a new limited company to save the business, the Erst founders are doubling down with a series of investments planned for the Ancoats site.
Angelina team to launch pasta and grill restaurant on the fringes of The City
The team behind Angelina Dalston will launch a pasta and grill restaurant in East London’s Norton Folgate development early next year.
Original Pachamama site to make way for new Italian concept
Pachamama Group’s flagship Pachamama Bar + Kitchen restaurant in Marylebone will close at the end of the year to make way for a new as-yet unnamed Italian concept.
Afrikana heads to London Designer Outlet
Fast-growing Africa-inspired casual dining group Afrikana will open a restaurant within Wembley’s London Designer Outlet next year.
Latest opening: Pearly Cow Brighton
Hotel brand GuestHouse has brought its steak and seafood-focused in-house restaurant brand to the South Coast.
D&D London to close final Leeds restaurant
D&D London will close its Angelica and Crafthouse restaurant at the top of the Trinity Leeds shopping centre this month, bringing an end to the group’s presence in the city.
Spanish vegan brand PLANT SHACK plans UK move
Fast casual vegan brand PLANT SHACK, which operates six sites across Spain, has signed a franchise agreement to open its first UK outpost in London.
Chuck E. Cheese plans entry into UK market
US restaurant group Chuck E. Cheese is looking to expand into the UK market, targeting locations in cities including Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol.
Two Thirds Beer Co. to launch Euro-inspired beer hall
The team behind Sheffield-based bar, kitchen and bottle shop Two Thirds Beer Co. is to open a Euro-inspired beer hall and restaurant in the South Yorkshire city next year.
Why the restaurant spin-off is making a comeback
History suggests that casual dining side hustles are doomed to fail but that hasn’t stopped operators looking to replicate the success of their original concepts.
The Beefy Boys: “We look at our menu like we do our children, it’s hard to have favourites”
Anthony ‘Murf’ Murphy, co-founder of burger quartet The Beefy Boys, on almost claiming the title of World’s Best Burger, the rise of the Oklahoma-style patty, and his group’s future plans.
Pizza Express renews its partnership with tastecard and Gourmet Society owner after five-year hiatus
Pizza Express has renewed its partnership with tastecard and Gourmet Society owner Ello Group following a five-year hiatus.
Whitbread hires former Boparan CEO as restaurant division MD
Whitbread has appointed former Boparan CEO Joe Texeira as managing director for its restaurants division.
How I Got Here: Amir Chen
The restaurateur and co-founder of the Delamina group on the business lessons of his father and grandfather, working alongside his wife, and the importance of leading by example
Ibérica on brink of administration
Spanish restaurant group Ibérica has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.