Multi-Site

Heartwood Collection receives additional £100m funding

03-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

Heartwood Collection has secured an additional £100m funding to support its rollout into freehold pubs and pubs with rooms.

Former Gino D’Acampo restaurant group probed by liquidators

30-Jun-2023 By MCA

Liquidators are investigating a restaurant company linked to Gino D’Acampo and the directors of Iceland supermarket over its directors’ conduct and missing records.

Flat Iron to open in Leeds

28-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Steak-focused restaurant group Flat Iron is continuing its expansion beyond the capital with an opening in Leeds this autumn.

Second ULI opens in Marylebone

27-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Asian restaurant brand ULI has opened a second outpost in Marylebone’s Seymour Place a year after it was first announced.

Generation Next Poll: have your say

27-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Fill in our latest poll and share your views about the current state of the sector.

Four Hundred Rabbits hops to Battersea

27-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Neighbourhood pizza restaurant group Four Hundred Rabbits will open its latest site, in Battersea Rise, next month.

San Carlo toasts turnover boost

27-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Turnover for Italian restaurant group San Carlo has risen by 137% to £68.9m, up from £29.1m the year before.

Shake Shack UK operator sees losses widen

26-Jun-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Diverse Dining, which operates the Shake Shack brand in the UK, has seen losses widen despite sales returning close to pre-pandemic levels.

TRG hit with fresh investor attack following senior team appointments

26-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) is facing fresh pressure from one of its main shareholders for promoting a finance chief with close links to its CEO, Andy Hornby.

Dirty Bones shutters half its estate amid pre-pack deal

26-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

New York-inspired restaurant group Dirty Bones has sold half of its six-strong estate in a pre-pack administration deal.

Sticks’n’Sushi to open two south west London restaurants

23-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Restaurant group Sticks’n’Sushi has announced it will open two new restaurants in London.

Nando's launches School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme

21-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Nando’s is continuing its commitment to promoting careers in the hospitality sector with the launch of a School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme

TRG shakes up senior team amid investor pressure

21-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced changes to its senior team, with a new CFO announced and an overhaul of management in the group’s Leisure & Concessions division.

Muted sales rise for restaurants in May as pubs benefit from bumper bank holidays

21-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieved an eighth consecutive month of year-on-year sales growth in May 2023, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Azzurri Group acquires Ireland-based Mexican chain Boojum

19-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Azzurri Group has acquired a controlling interest in Ireland-based, fast-casual Mexican chain Boojum and plans to expand the brand across Great Britain.

M&B tipped as frontrunner in £600m Whitbread sale process

16-Jun-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has been tipped as the frontrunner in the sale of 250 of Whitbread’s 440 pub-restaurants.

Prezzo appoints new CFO in ‘final chapter’ of strategic review

15-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Prezzo has appointed Jo Harrison as its chief financial officer, marking ‘the final chapter’ of a strategic review that recently saw the group shutter nearly a third of its estate.

San Carlo to move West End Cicchetti to a larger site

14-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

San Carlo is relocating its West End Cicchetti restaurant down the road in a move that will double its size.

Fulham Shore takeover deal voted through

12-Jun-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Fulham Shore’s acquisition by Japanese food conglomerate Toridoll for £93.4m has been approved by shareholders at a Court Meeting and General Meeting held on Friday (9 June).

Flat Iron to launch Cambridge restaurant next month

09-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Steakhouse group Flat Iron will open a huge, 120 cover restaurant next month on Market Street in Cambridge – its first site outside of London.

The Coconut Tree delays paying wages as it struggles with ‘unforeseen costs’

09-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree has told employees that payment of their wages for May have been delayed because of ‘unforeseen costs to the business’.

Pizzeria group Zia Lucia eyes UK expansion

08-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

London-based pizzeria group Zia Lucia has announced plans to expand across the UK following its success in the capital.

TGI Fridays owner reports further sales decline

07-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

TGI Fridays owner Hostmore has reported a 3% decline in like-for-like (lfl) sales for the 22 weeks to 4 June 2023 – down from -1% in the first 16 weeks.

Chopstix secures first airport site

06-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Pan-Asian QSR group Chopstix is to open its first airport location later this month as it pushes ahead with plans to open 30 new venues this year.

Yard Sale explores options for growth

06-Jun-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Neighbourhood pizza shop concept Yard Sale Pizza has appointed advisors as it considers 'a number of potential options' to grow the brand further.

Bancone heads to Borough Yards for ‘biggest opening yet’

05-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

London-based fresh pasta restaurant Bancone will open its third site next month in the Borough Yards development.

Business Profile

Wharf fare: Blacklock’s Gordon Ker on taking chops to Docklands

05-Jun-2023 By Stefan Chomka

The opening of a new restaurant in Canary Wharf has taken the chop-focused group to five sites.

Business confidence rising in hospitality despite inflationary pressures

05-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Optimism among leaders of Britain’s top hospitality groups has risen since the start of 2023, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth.

Leon to launch in Italy

02-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Leon will open its first outpost in Italy later this year in Rome as part of a partnership between SSP Group and Italian rail station operator Grandi Stationi.

Pizza Union looks to expand

01-Jun-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Pizza Union, the Roman-style pizza bar from Babby Hashemi, is looking for new sites across central London, and negotiating on a few potential locations.

QSR occasions rise as diners seek inexpensive meal options

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

QSR occasions have increased by 1.3 percentage points (ppts) year on year, according to new data from Lumina Intelligence, as consumers seek inexpensive meal options amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Issa brothers combine Asda and EG Group

31-May-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Asda has agreed to buy EG Group’s UK and Ireland operations for an enterprise value of £2.27bn, in a deal that will see it take ownership of the Leon brand.

How I Got Here: Emma Reynolds

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The co-founder of ramen chain Tonkotsu on cost pressures, trusting your gut, and her first restaurant job.

Crispin team to launch Bistro Freddie concept after acquiring Oklava site

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind London restaurants Crispin and Bar Crispin is to launch a new bistro concept this summer having acquired the former Oklava site in Shoreditch.

Neat Burger eyes further international growth following latest funding round

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

Neat Burger, the London-based vegan fast food concept backed by Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, is plotting further international expansion after raising $18m in its latest funding round.

Spring 2024 date set for Albert’s Schloss' London debut

31-May-2023 By Restaurant

Mission Mars will open its Albert’s Schloss venue in London next spring on the former Rainforest Café site on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Turtle Bay reaches 50 site milestone

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

Caribbean-inspired restaurant group Turtle Bay will open its 50th UK site in August in Camden, which will also mark the brand’s first outpost in north London.

Whitbread considering sale of restaurant brands

30-May-2023 By James McAllister

Whitbread is understood to be exploring the potential sale of part of its £700m pub and restaurant arm in order to focus its efforts on its Premier Inn hotel chain.

Fazenda Bishopsgate will be the group's 'most ambitious restaurant yet'

25-May-2023 By Restaurant

South-American restaurant group Fazenda will open its first London restaurant in Bishopsgate this August.

Pizza Pilgrims to launch new deli concept as it prepares to open 20th pizzeria

24-May-2023 By James McAllister

Pizza Pilgrims will open its 20th restaurant this summer, which will launch alongside a new deli concept selling Italian produce and dry store goods.

TRG to keep remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after overcoming investor revolt

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has said it will keep its remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after more than a third of investors voted against it at the group’s AGM.

BrewDog to roll out across travel hubs under SSP partnership

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

BrewDog has partnered with SSP Group to bring the brand to various travel locations in the UK, beginning with a site at London Gatwick Airport.

Unite petition calls on PizzaExpress to abandon 'labour management scheme'

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

Unite union has launched a petition protesting PizzaExpress’s plans to slash hours for hundreds of its waiting staff and hand their duties over to restaurant managers, garnering support from thousands.

Inception Group secures £6.7m loan to fund growth

22-May-2023 By Restaurant

Inception Group has secured a £6.7m loan from OakNorth Bank to continue to help fund its expansion.

Vinoteca blames energy prices and train strikes as it shutters Birmingham site

19-May-2023 By James McAllister

Wine bar and restaurant group Vinoteca is to close its huge site within Birmingham’s Paradise development after less than a year, blaming rising energy prices and ongoing train strikes.

Poke House looking to accelerate global expansion after securing new investment

19-May-2023 By James McAllister

Italian poke chain Poke House is looking to accelerate its global expansion following the completion of a new investment round.

Chaakoo Bombay Café comes to Edinburgh

19-May-2023 By Restaurant

Glasgow restaurant Chaakoo Bombay Café is expanding beyond the city with a site in Edinburgh.

Tension builds ahead of TRG crunch meeting

19-May-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Hedge fund Oasis Management Company has ratcheted up its attacks on The Restaurant Group (TRG), accusing it of withholding information from key shareholders ahead of next week’s annual general meeting.

Pret launches in Luxembourg

17-May-2023 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger has launched its first location in Luxembourg, the latest international market for it to enter amid a global expansion drive.

Demand for deliveries and takeaways shows signs of stabilising as sales decline slows

17-May-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups saw delivery and takeaway sales drop 1% year-on-year in April, the new Hospitality at Home Tracker from CGA by NIQ shows.