
Friday five: the week’s top hospitality stories
The closure of 68 Pizza Hut restaurants and The Devonshire team’s plans for a Covent Garden venue are among this week’s most read stories.

The closure of 68 Pizza Hut restaurants and The Devonshire team’s plans for a Covent Garden venue are among this week’s most read stories.

Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub and bar groups saw a marginal increase in like-for-like sales growth, according to the latest data.

The number of licensed premises in Britain has fallen in the past year despite modest growth in the third quarter of 2025, new data shows.

A second London restaurant from the group behind Carbone and the opening of a Japanese-inspired chophouse in Shoreditch are among this week’s most read stories.

New restaurants from Hawksmoor and former Kiln head chef Meedu Saad were among this week’s most read stories.

Comment
The best brands must be both predictable and surprising. The challenge is knowing where to draw the line.

Rapid rises in operational costs are damaging hospitality’s capital expenditure programmes, new data shows.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants’ financial results and the continued expansion of Honest Burgers are among this week’s most-read stories.

Restaurants are increasingly relying on targeted promotions to boost covers at lunchtimes and on weekday evenings, but do the benefits outweigh the inevitable hit to the bottom line?

A rise in the rate of internal promotions for key hospitality leadership roles is contributing to a reduction in staff turnover across the sector, according to a new report.

Prezzo Italian is attempting to get diners into the Christmas spirit early by offering two of its yuletide creations for just 99p.

Mowgli Street Food moved into delivery for the first time through an exclusive national partnership with Uber Eats.

Managed restaurant groups recorded a 1.6% dip in sales in August, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, as sustained sunshine attracted consumers to pub gardens and terraces.

The Salad Project’s forthcoming site in London’s Notting Hill will feature a dedicated matcha bar, as the group looks to capitalise on the rising popularity of the green tea-based beverage.

The continued uptick in hospitality insolvencies has been described as ‘a worrying trend’ following a third consecutive monthly rise in business failures across the sector.

A new position for Luke Selby, and bold rollout plans for seafood restaurant Shrimp & Co were among this week’s most read stories.

Dessert brand Creams Cafe has launched a new direct delivery platform that it says is ‘designed to boost franchisee profitability and strengthen operational efficiency’.

The trade body CEO on the importance of embedding preparedness into the heart of your restaurant operation.

Vacancies in the hospitality sector have risen for the first time in a year.

The hospitality industry in the UK will have lost 111,000 jobs by the time of the winter Budget, an industry trade body has warned.

The number of takeover deals for UK restaurant groups has increased 88% in the past year, new data shows.

Comment
They may be frugal, but this is a generation that still values dining out. But they want it on their terms.

The closure of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Gordon Ramsay backed burger, and smaller portions at The Fat Duck were among this week’s most read stories.
Amid growing competition and with its biggest rival struggling, Burger King has launched what it calls ‘a first of its kind’ product for UK QSR… with Gordon Ramsay backing it.

UK restaurant groups experienced strong growth in at-home dining in July, the latest edition of CGA by NIQ’s Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals.

Neapolitan pizza may have been dominant trend in the UK over the past decade, but an increasing number of players are opting for the myriad of other styles at their disposal.

London-based operator Market Place Food Hall has launched an ‘all-encompassing’ loyalty programme that unifies all its vendors under a single points collection and redemption digital wallet card.

Managed restaurant groups saw their first year-on-year sales increase since December 2024 in July, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker.

All day café, bar and restaurant operator Loungers has launched its first loyalty scheme.

Profits at the UK’s biggest restaurant groups have risen 18% over the past year, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.

Hospitality has accounted for 53% of all job losses in the UK since last year’s Budget, according to new analysis of ONS jobs data carried out by UKHospitality.

The optimism of Britain’s hospitality leaders rose in the second quarter of 2025 despite the arrival of new labour costs, the latest Business Confidence Survey reveals.

Some 1,706 accommodation and food service companies, including hotels, restaurants and pubs, closed in the six months to June 2025, according to analysis of Government figures.

UKHospitality has said the sector ‘continues to bear the brunt of job losses’ following the increase to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) earlier this year.

Top restaurant groups’ delivery and takeaway sales by value were virtually flat year-on-year in June 2025, according to the latest edition of CGA by NIQ’s Hospitality at Home Tracker.

The number of UK hospitality venues fell by 374 in the first half of the year, equating to 62 net closures per month, or two per day, new data shows.

Comment
Hospitality is undergoing a great split between those who are scaling and those who are being strategically rebooted. And both sides are drawing capital.

Manchester consumers are spending more on dining out compared to Londoners and are ‘more adventurous’ with their restaurant choices, according to new research published by Square.

Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

With Which Wich the latest US-founded sub slinger trying to grow its UK presence, we look at those that have previously tried to make dough in this surprisingly tough space.

The UK foodservice sector saw a significant resurgence of inflationary pressures in June 2025, the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) reveals.

BAO’s new investors, the collapse of Oakman, and a move to the coast for Rafael Cagali were among this week’s most read stories.

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The UK’s most high-profile vegan chef came out swinging after our article contrasted his insurgent approach with a new generation of plant-based chefs.

The planned sale of Côte and the sudden closure of Victor Garvey’s St Pancras restaurant are among this week’s most read stories.

The number of payrolled hospitality employees has continued on a downward trend with more than 11,000 jobs being shed between April and May this year.

With Gregg Wallace and John Torode no longer at the helm of the long-running cooking competition, we assess the field of their potential replacements.

From the great casual dining reboot and restaurants embracing AI to the rise of rotisserie chicken, our new report highlights the key restaurant trends of the moment.

The UK has a rich tapestry of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan restaurants, but surprisingly few genuinely national brands.

Pret a Manger is responding to the rise in popularity of salads with the launch of a range of larger options.

Restaurant sat down with an eclectic group of operators to discuss the past, present and future of Manchester’s buzzing restaurant and bar scene.