Steakhouse group Middletons to open its ninth restaurant

The steakhouse will open a 190-cover restaurant in Leamington Spa on 21 February after investing £500,000 in the former Gusto site.

“It’s been a difficult time for hospitality with all the restrictions during the pandemic,” says Stephen Hutton, managing director of Middletons Steakhouse & Grill.

“But we’ve managed to take our business into Cambridge and now Leamington Spa and I think our survival and progress is due to the strength of the brand and what it offers. It’s all underpinned by a sensible and sustainable expansion model.”

Middletons launched its first restaurant in 2011 near King’s Lynn, Norfolk, and now operates venues in Chelmsford, Peterborough, Leicester, Colchester, Norwich, Milton Keynes, and Cambridge.

The company says it is expecting a strong spring but has concerns about the summer with people wanting to go on holiday as well as the cost of living squeeze reducing disposable household income.

“This will have an effect on the high street and eating out but we’re still confident we can have a strong 2022,” says Hutton.

 “We’re confident our expansion plans will continue with a pipeline of properties into 2023 and beyond.”