Casual Dining

Hospitality 'the great leveller' says new report

23-May-2022 By Restaurant

The hospitality sector is uniquely positioned to deliver economic growth and jobs across the country and can play its part in delivering the Government’s flagship levelling up agenda, according to a new report from UKHospitality (UKH).

Honest Burgers overhauls supply chain with regenerative farming programme

23-May-2022 By James McAllister

Honest Burgers has overhauled its supply chain through the development of a regenerative farming programme, with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of eating beef.

Simon Bonwick sells The Crown to Dominic Chapman

22-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Chef Simon Bonwick and family have sold their Michelin-starred Berkshire pub restaurant The Crown to The Beehive chef Dominic Chapman.

Latest opening: Palazzo

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

The team behind London-based Neapolitan pizza group Made of Dough have launched an Italian bar and diner in Crystal Palace.

Friday Five: the week's top news

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

This week's main hospitality news stories include Dishoom heading to Canary Wharf, David Thompson bringing Long Chim to Chinatown, and McDonald's permanently exiting the Russian market.

Operators face 'significant challenge managing costs and attracting footfall' as menu sizes and prices rise

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

Menus across the UK eating and drinking out market grew in size between February and April 2022, according to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker, with average prices also increasing.

Latest opening: Chicken Shop

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

CHIK’N, the fast-casual spinoff of Chick 'n' Sours, has rebranded as Chicken Shop under a partnership with Soho House Group, and launched its first new site in London’s Notting Hill.

Funghi(s): the trio harnessing the power of fermented mushrooms

20-May-2022 By Restaurant

With plant-based business Symplicity Foods chef Neil Rankin and Homeslice’s Wogan brothers are on a mission to make meat-free properly guilt free.

Hospitality braces for weaker consumer demand

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

Falling consumer confidence and slowing demand growth has started to weigh on output across the hospitality and tourism sector, according to the first Lloyds Bank UK Sector Tracker.

UKHospitality calls for online sales tax and reduced business rates

20-May-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

UKHospitality (UKH) has urged the Government to introduce an online sales tax to reduce business rates for hospitality.

Delivery growth eases in 2022

20-May-2022 By James McAllister

Delivery sales have plateaued in 2022 as Covid restrictions eased and consumer confidence about eating-out improved, the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

Impossible Foods makes UK debut - but its burger stays Stateside

19-May-2022 By Restaurant

The Californian company behind the headline-grabbing plant-based Impossible Burger is bringing its products to UK restaurants for the first time.

Calls for VAT reduction on business energy bills as inflation hits 40-year high

19-May-2022 By James McAllister

Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester's night time economy adviser, has called on the Government to implement a temporary reduction in VAT on business energy bills in the face of rocketing inflation.

Provisions to relaunch wine bar

18-May-2022 By James McAllister

North London-based natural wine specialist and deli Provisions is to relaunch its wine bar concept later this month at its original Holloway Road site.

Artfarm to unveil The Audley in Mayfair this autumn

18-May-2022 By Restaurant

Hospitality group Artfarm will launch its first London project, The Audley in Mayfair, this autumn.

Parents of teenager who died after eating Pret baguette set up clinical trial

18-May-2022 By Restaurant

The parents of Natasha Laperouse, the 15 year-old girl who died from an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, have set up a clinical trial to help with the treatment of allergies.

Recruitment remains 'major challenge' for hospitality as 171,000 vacancies recorded

18-May-2022 By James McAllister

Hospitality operators are continuing to face 'major challenges' recruiting staff, with the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing some 171,000 vacancies across the sector.

Ex-Roti King pair to launch new Islington pub The Tamil Prince

18-May-2022 By James McAllister

Former Roti King chef Prince Durairaj and ex-JKS general manager Glen Leeson are to launch a new pub together in London's Islington with a South Indian-focused menu.

How I Got Here: Jamie Barber

18-May-2022 By James McAllister

The restaurateur and founder of the London-based Hush Collection, which operates the Haché and Cabana brands, on the importance of location, challenging industry perceptions and gatecrashing Kylie Minogue's birthday party.

Dishoom to open in Canary Wharf

17-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Dishoom will open a restaurant in Canary Wharf’s Wood Wharf development this winter bringing its total number of sites to nine.

Rick Stein Restaurants to offer new flexible working contracts to combat summer staff shortages

17-May-2022 By Restaurant

Rick Stein Restaurants is tackling the anticipated exceptionally high shortage of staff during the summer months with new flexible working contracts.

Marugame Udon confirms Brent Cross site

17-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Marugame Udon will open a site in Brent Cross later this year bringing its total number of sites in the capital to five.

C&C sells stake in Admiral Taverns

17-May-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

C&C has announced the sale of its minority interest in Admiral Taverns to Proprium Capital Partners, for £55m.

Bank of England governor warns of 'apocalyptic' food price risis

17-May-2022 By Restaurant

Britain faces 'apocalyptic' rises in food prices as households are hit by a 'very real income shock', the governor of the Bank of England has warned.

Vagabond to open first airport site

17-May-2022 By James McAllister

Pour-your-own wine bar group Vagabond is set to launch its first airport site this week at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 as part of a £1.2m investment.

Modest sales growth for managed groups undermined by rising cost pressures

17-May-2022 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups recorded like-for-like sales growth of 2% in April 2022, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

People on the move: May

16-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

This month's job news includes a new head chef for the Louisiana-inspired Plaquemine Lock and a big promotion for Tom Kerridge Group's Matthew O’Connor.

McDonald's permanently exits Russian market

16-May-2022 By James McAllister

McDonald's is to permanently exit the Russian market after more than 30 years of operations in the country.

Three quarters of nightlife businesses say door staff shortage impacting public safety

16-May-2022 By James McAllister

Three quarters of nightlife businesses say door staff shortages are impacting public safety, according to new data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and UK Door Security Association (UKDSA).

McDonald’s invests £250m in restaurant remodelling

16-May-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

McDonald’s UK&I will invest over £250m over the next four years to redesign parts of its restaurant estate to suit the rise of omnichannel ordering.

Where The Pancakes Are launches £550,000 crowdfund

13-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

London Bridge and Fitzrovia-based group Where The Pancakes Are has launched a £550,000 crowdfund campaign on Crowdcube to support its expansion plans across the UK.

Sam Harrison to bring Sam’s Larder to Chiswick

13-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurateur Sam Harrison and business partner Fanny Stocker have secured a site in Chiswick for their Sam’s Larder retail business.

Friday Five: the week's top news

13-May-2022 By James McAllister

This week's main hospitality news stories include the Government making pavement licenses permanent, data showing hospitality employees working longer hours, and Shaftesbury and Capco's plans to merge.

The World’s 50 Best Bars launches bartender scholarship

13-May-2022 By Restaurant

The World’s 50 Best Bars has launched a 50 Best Bars Scholarship offering one person the chance to do stages in a world-renowned bar in London and New York.

Wendy’s achieves ‘solid results’ in first quarter

12-May-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Wendy’s UK business – its newest market – achieved 'solid results' in the first quarter to 3 April 2022, president and chief executive officer Todd Penegor has said.

Deliveroo signs 'first of its kind' union deal with GMB covering 90,000 riders

12-May-2022 By James McAllister

Deliveroo has signed a union recognition deal with GMB that covers more than 90,000 of the delivery company's self-employed riders.

Hospitality spending rises despite falling confidence

12-May-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Consumer confidence fell for the third consecutive quarter in Q1 2022, but the percentage of consumers spending more on restaurants rose by nine points quarter-on-quarter, according to data from Deloitte.

Scottish Government to bolster outdoor dining by streamlining planning processes

12-May-2022 By James McAllister

Outdoor restaurant seating could be permitted without a planning application in Scotland under new proposals designed to support the hospitality industry.

Various Eateries reports robust trading as footfall in the capital recovers

12-May-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Coppa Club owner Various Eateries has reported robust trading for the 26-week period ending 3 April, following the opening of two new sites and the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Popeye's Stratford becomes US fried chicken giant's best performer globally

12-May-2022 By Restaurant

US fried chicken brand Popeyes’ Westfield Stratford site is the company’s highest taking venue globally, the company has revealed.

Milk Beach heads to Soho

12-May-2022 By Joe Lutrario

All-day Australian restaurant Milk Beach will bring ‘a little slice of Sydney to Soho’ this summer following the acquisition of the large ground floor site at the recently redeveloped Ilona Rose House.

Sandwiches help operators mitigate cost of living pressures

12-May-2022 By James McAllister

The proportion of main dishes on operator menus that are sandwiches has risen across four key eating out channels to give consumers cheaper meal-time options amid cost of living pressures.

Turtle Bay: “Over the last two years TikTok has completely transformed our business”

11-May-2022 By Restaurant

The meteoric rise of social media over the past few has transformed restaurants, helping build brand awareness, customer loyalty and even with recruitment, according to those in the industry.

Restaurants raise nearly £700k for StreetSmart

11-May-2022 By James McAllister

Restaurants across the UK have helped raise nearly £700,000 between them for homeless charity StreetSmart.

Queen's Speech 'a missed opportunity' for night time economy

11-May-2022 By James McAllister

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has said yesterday's (10 May) Queen’s Speech was a 'missed opportunity' as far as the night time economy is concerned.

Berkhamsted pub reopens as pizza venue Margo's at the Old Mill

11-May-2022 By Restaurant

Pizza chef Claude Camilleri has taken on his first pub in the UK through Greene King Pub Partners.

Boparan to take Slim Chickens to Liverpool ONE

11-May-2022 By Restaurant

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is taking its fast-growing Slim Chickens brand to Liverpool with the opening of a venue in Liverpool ONE.

How I Got Here: Patricia Michelson

11-May-2022 By James McAllister

The founder of cheese-focused retailer and café La Fromagerie, which has sites in London's Highbury, Marylebone and Bloomsbury, on how a disastrous skiing day led her to launch her business.

Zanna Hospitality Group to open four venues at Flannels in Liverpool

11-May-2022 By Restaurant

North-west-based Zanna Hospitality Group will open four hospitality venues at department store Flannels Liverpool in the coming months.

Unilever launches online course to tackle mental health issues in kitchens

10-May-2022 By Restaurant

Unilever Away From Home is adding a Mental Health in the Kitchen course to its recently launched Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) Academy in a bid to tackle rising concerns across the industry.