Casual Dining

Rudy’s to launch pizzaiolo training academy

06-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Rudy’s Pizza is to become the latest restaurant operator to launch an academy to train new recruits.

Alcohol-free restaurant group Coco to open third site

06-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Alcohol-free restaurant group Coco is to launch its third site next month in London’s Canary Wharf.

Lunar Pub Company to open ‘most ambitious site to date’ in Clapham

06-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Boutique hospitality group Lunar Pub Company is to open its third London gastropub this spring, which has been described as the operator’s ‘most ambitious site to date’.

How I Got Here: Tommy Lee

05-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

The US-born CEO of Californian-based pizzeria 800° Degrees Pizza, which made its UK debut earlier this year, on his extensive career in restaurants, and the importance of listening and learning.

Kenny Tutt’s Bayside Social to close

05-Apr-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Worthing-based chef Kenny Tutt will close his Bayside Social restaurant later this month in order to concentrate on his more high-end restaurant Pitch.

Toridoll to acquire Fulham Shore in £93m deal

05-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Fulham Shore is set to be acquired by Japanese food conglomerate Toridoll in a deal that values the casual dining group at approximately £93.4m.

Cynthia Shanmugalingam: “I want Rambutan to be an expression of joy”

04-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

With her debut restaurant, Cynthia Shanmugalingam is putting the spotlight on an area of Sri Lankan cuisine previously unexplored in central London.

Prezzo posts significant loss despite strong H2 performance

04-Apr-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Prezzo reports that it returned to profitability during the second half of its FY21/22 financial year, with revenues for the full year to 2 January 2022 of £94.9m.

Sam Brotchie to open sandwich concept in Market Halls later this month

03-Apr-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Chef and restaurant consultant Sam Brotchie will launch a premium sandwich concept at Market Halls’ Oxford Street location later this month.

Megan’s reports strong trading ahead of 20th opening

03-Apr-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Megan’s Restaurants has reported annual turnover of £22.7m in the year to 31 March 2022, up 193% from £7.7m in 2021.

Tipo’s Stuart Ralston and Jade Johnston: “Restaurants like this are lacking in Edinburgh”

31-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Aizle chef patron Stuart Ralston's third Edinburgh restaurant is an Italian small plates place he's launching in partnership with his group operations director Jade Johnston.

Tasty considering rebrand opportunities alongside closures

30-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Restaurant group Tasty is considering rebranding some of its Wildwood restaurants under its Dim T concept, while other underperforming sites could be sold or surrendered.

The Rosarium to launch this May

30-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The restaurant element of ‘immersive’ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-themed venue Labyrinth Waterloo will open in May.

Story Cellar to open at Neals Yard next month

30-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Tom Seller’s Covent Garden restaurant Story Cellar will launch in Covent Garden at the start of next month.

How I Got Here: Jack Applebee

29-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

One of the brothers behind Borough Market's Applebee’s Fish and the recently launched La Gamba on the Southbank on making hospitality a viable career and his favourite restaurants in London.

Nico Simeone to relocate Beat 6 to a larger venue

29-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Nico Simeone is to relocate his charitable restaurant Beat 6 to new, larger premises in Glasgow, a year-and-a-half after it first opened.

MJMK quietly closes La Rampa

29-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

MJMK has quietly closed its Cuba-inspired restaurant and bar La Rampa, located on London’s Market Place close to Oxford Circus tube, less than two years after it launched.

Pizza Pilgrims to open quirky three-storey Nottingham restaurant

28-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Pizza Pilgrims is opening its first venue in the Midlands next month, its fourth outside of the capital.

Latest opening: Papi

28-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

East London has long been the epicentre of successful small plate restaurants that specialise in natural wine, and Papi neatly fits the mould.

Sole music: seafood-focused Manzi's to hold DJ sets

27-Mar-2023 By BigHospiatlity

The Wolseley Hospitality Group will open a restaurant featuring DJ sets for the first time as part of plans to evolve the business and appeal to a younger clientele.

Company of Cooks merges with Venues by CH&CO

24-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Leisure catering and hospitality businesses Company of Cooks and Venues by CH&CO have merged to create a £70m business with a portfolio of 30 venues and destinations.

"The restaurant in the City to go to": more details about The Wolseley City revealed

24-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

More details have been revealed about the forthcoming opening of a second The Wolseley in the capital.

Hawksmoor heads to Chicago for second US restaurant

24-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Hawksmoor is to open a second restaurant in the US next year, this time in the Midwest in Chicago.

Mondo Beer + Pizza to open first permanent venue

22-Mar-2023 By BigHospiatlity

Mondo Beer + Pizza has chosen London’s Borough Yards for the opening its first bricks and mortar venue.

Just Eat cuts 1,700 delivery jobs as demand falls

21-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Just Eat is to cut 1,700 delivery staff jobs as a result of a drop in demand for restaurant food at home.

Latest opening: Zapote

21-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

The former Eyre Brothers restaurant site in Shoreditch is home to a new Mexican restaurant and bar.

Pophams launches new workshop and retail concept

21-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Artisanal bakery and restaurant group Pophams has launched a new retail and workshop space next door to its site in London's Hackney.

Bird House London to launch Peckham Arches this month

21-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

The team behind West London bar and restaurant The Hawk’s Nest will open a large second venue in the capital later this month.

Promotion

Redefine Meat: the ultimate culinary experience that engages all five senses

21-Mar-2023 By Redefine Meat

The 'new-meat' brand has a range of products that recreate the juiceness, mouthfeel and flavour of the real thing.

Hospitality trading 'now consistently ahead year-on-year'

21-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

February sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups were 3.9% ahead of last year on a like-for-like basis, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

Industry left frustrated after hospitality excluded from UK shortage occupation list

21-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Industry leaders have criticised the decision not to add hospitality roles to the UK's shortage occupation list, with one trade body describing the situation as 'disappointing'.

Turtle Bay to open its largest London restaurant to date

20-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Caribbean-inspired restaurant group Turtle Bay will open its largest London restaurant to date and its first in the west of the capital.

RMT pay deal could signal the end of train strikes

20-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Planned rail strikes that have dogged the hospitality sector over the past year could be coming to an end after members of the RMT union voted to accept a pay offer from Network Rail.

Windmill Hill Brewing Company pair launch Leamington Spa bistro

20-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The duo behind Warwickshire’s Windmill Hill Brewing Company have launched a bistro in Leamington Spa that offers a tapas-inspired menu.

Asian restaurant Lucky Yu relocates to larger Edinburgh site

20-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Edinburgh-based Asian street food restaurant Lucky Yu has reopened in larger premises.

Henry Dimbleby resigns as Government food tsar

20-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

Henry Dimbleby has quit his role as food tsar at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, criticising the government for “insane” inaction on the nation’s obesity crisis.

Birmingham’s Drum development approved

20-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Birmingham City Council has unanimously approved plans for developer Hammerson’s redevelopment of the former John Lewis site in the city’s Grand Central complex.

Friday Five: the week's top news

17-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

This week's top news stories include hospitality's reaction to the Budget, Tommy Banks's latest venture, and Carl’s Jr. instructing Christie & Co to find franchise partners for its UK debut.

Sabrina Gidda: 'I'm cooking the food of my culture but through the lens of my professional experience'

17-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The former Bernardi’s and AllBright chef is best known for cooking European food but has just penned a cookbook that explores her Punjabi roots.

The Lowdown: Fred’s Last Resort

17-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Fred Sirieix is tackling the sector’s recruitment crisis once again with a new TV show which sees a dozen young Brits battle it out for a job in high-end hospitality.

Childcare support could help female hospitality workers earn 'up to £3,500' more each year

17-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The childcare plan announced in the spring Budget earlier this week (15 March) may help to address the current earnings imbalance in the hospitality industry.

Conservative MP calls for VAT on hospitality to be cut to 10%

17-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

A Conservative MP has called on the Treasury to halve the VAT on hospitality to overcome what he described as a 'perfect storm' of cost pressures.

Hospitality reasserts calls for business rates reform in wake of ‘disappointing’ Budget

16-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality leaders have reasserted calls for the Government to reform business rates, after the Chancellor ignored industry-wide calls for an overhaul of the current system in his Budget.

Rising prices prop up delivery spend as order frequency reduces

16-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant groups fell year-on-year for the 16th month in a row in February, new data from CGA by NIQ reveals.

Checking-IN launches hospitality '50 LGBT+ Champions List'

16-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Checking-IN, the LGBT+ hospitality network, is inviting nominations for its first '50 LGBT+ Champions List', to be announced on 31st May 2023.

Latest tube and rail strikes could cost hospitality 'as much as £600m'

16-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

The combined rail and tube strikes taking place across the country this week could cost hospitality 'as much as £600m', according to UKHospitality.

Romain Fargette and Alexis Colletta to relaunch Mano later this month

15-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Romain Fargette and Alexis Colletta will bring their clubby Brazilian-styled fusion restaurant and bar Mano back to Mayfair later this month.

Budget ‘falls short’ as Chancellor overlooks calls for further hospitality support

15-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality business have been left frustrated after the Chancellor failed to offer the sector any significant concessions in his spring Budget.

US burger giant Carl’s Jr. instructs Christie & Co to find franchise partners for UK debut

15-Mar-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Californian burger brand Carl’s Jr. has instructed property agent Christie & Co to support its launch into the UK market by seeking out ‘several’ franchise partners to facilitate a national rollout.

Steve Hill appointed managing director of Bone Daddies Group as co-founder steps away

15-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Steve Hill has been appointed managing director of the Bone Daddies Group after its co-founder and previous MD, Demetri Tomazos, recently stepped away from the business.