Friday Five: the week's top news
- D&D London chairman Des Gunewardena has warned restaurants will need to adapt to managing with fewer staff once the government's proposed immigration rules come in to force. He told BigHospitality the industry would likely evolve to mirror "restaurants in a number of EU countries with high labour costs and taxes".
- The Restaurant Group is close up to 90 restaurants by the end of 2021. The company wants to cut the size of its struggling leisure arm, which includes the Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito brands, from 350 to around 260-275 sites.
- The chief executive of Market Halls says there are "around 300" traders who want to open in its schemes, and that a "churn" in operators is expected. Andy Lewis-Pratt added that it was possible the concept could evolve to include a 'competitive socialising' element in future.
- The founder of London's conveyor-belt cheese bar has unveiled his next project - a boat-based cheese restaurant moored on Paddington's Grand Union Canal. The Cheese Barge will serve seasonal dishes showcasing 'the best of British cheese' when it opens in April.
- The BBC is looking for chefs to take part in a new televised cooking competition that's set to film in the town of Tulum, Mexico this summer.
For more of this week's news, click here.
