Casual Dining

Big Table Group acquires Banana Tree brand

28-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Las Iguanas and Café Rouge operator The Big Table Group has acquired fast-casual, pan-Asian chain Banana Tree.

How I Got Here: Ed Duah

28-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The director of Hero Brands, master franchise holder of German Doner Kebab, Choppaluna and Sides, on staying true to your vision and the importance of global food variety.

Benugo pilots 'science-based' carbon labelling

28-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Benugo has partnered with the Natural History Museum to introduce 'science-based' carbon labelling for cakes and chilled food served in its cafes and restaurants at the museum.

Shaun Moffat appointed executive chef at Manchester restaurant group

28-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Former Berber & Q and Manteca chef Shaun Moffat has been appointed executive chef of the group behind Manchester restaurants Cottonopolis, Edinburgh Castle and Libertine

Boxpark to open in Liverpool next year

28-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Boxpark is heading to Liverpool for the opening of its sixth UK site.

Soho restaurant Mr Ji closes due to staffing issues

27-Sep-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Modern Asian restaurant Mr Ji has closed its Soho site to free up staff for its imminent launch in Camden.

Alex Bond smashes crowdfund target for fried chicken restaurant Mollis

26-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Chef Alex Bond has smashed his £100,000 crowdfund target to support the launch of his new fried chicken restaurant, Mollis, in little more than a week.

Manchester vegan diner V-Rev announces permanent closure

26-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Manchester-based vegan diner V-Rev has announced its permanent closure, just weeks after the business was forced to slash its opening hours due to the rising cost of utilities and stock.

Up, up and Oowee: the burger restaurant that chose to ditch the meat

26-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Oowee founders Charlie Watson and Verity Foss never set out to run a vegan burger brand, but with five sites now under their belt they couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Latest Opening: Milk Beach Soho

23-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

The second site for the all-day Australian brand sees it open in a smart new Soho enclave.

Creams Cafe launches emergency franchise support package

23-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Dessert-focused group Creams Café has announced an emergency franchise partner support package to help its partners through inflationary pressures and the cost of living crisis.

Coroner rules woman died after eating Pret wrap

23-Sep-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

A woman with an acute dairy allergy died after eating a Pret a Manger wrap labelled as vegan despite containing traces of milk, a coroner has ruled.

Bunsik heads north to Camden for third London site

23-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Korean corn dog specialist Bunsik will open its third site in the capital next month.

Hostmore to pause new openings

22-Sep-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Fridays and 63rd+1st parent company Hostmore has said it is not planning to open any new restaurants in the first half of the 2023 financial year.

Dame Karen Jones to step down as Prezzo executive chair

21-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Dame Karen Jones is to step down as executive chair of Italian casual dining chain Prezzo after four years in the role.

Slim Chickens secures Northern Ireland foothold

21-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has secured a foothold in Northern Ireland for Slim Chickens having signed its first franchise partner in the country.

Inflation wipes out August growth for hospitality groups

21-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Like-for-like sales at Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups in August were 2% ahead of the equivalent 2019 pre-Covid period, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Tortilla publishes first Environment Social Governance report

20-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Restaurant group Tortilla has set out its sustainability commitment in its first Environment Social Governance (ESG) report.

Sam Lee: “We’ve taken Temper back to its roots”

16-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The boss of barbecue restaurant group Temper on realigning the brand under a core concept, returning to the expansion trail, and struggles with staffing and energy costs

Alex Bond launches crowdfund for fried chicken restaurant Mollis

16-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Chef Alex Bond is launching a crowdfund to get his fried chicken restaurant over the line.

Boparan launches Cinnamon Kitchen brand into retail

15-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is continuing its push into retail, this time through its Indian restaurant group The Cinnamon Collection.

McDonald’s and Greggs set to close UK sites for Queen’s funeral

14-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

High street operators McDonald's and Greggs have both announced they will close their UK estates on Monday (19 September) for the Queen’s funeral.

Representatives from the UK's best restaurants to speak at this month's Restaurant Conference

12-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Chefs and restaurateurs from this year’s National Restaurant Awards will be speaking as part of this year’s Restaurant Conference.

Karapincha unveils new branding ahead of Canary Wharf opening

09-Sep-2022 By Joe Lutrario

Fast casual Sri Lankan restaurant Karapincha has unveiled a new brand identity ahead of opening its new restaurant in London’s Canary Wharf.

All-day restaurant Dorothy & Marshall to open in Bromley Old Town Hall

08-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

All-day dining restaurant and bar Dorothy & Marshall will open in the newly redeveloped Bromley Old Town Hall this autumn.

Hawksmoor attains B Corp status

08-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Steakhouse group Hawksmoor has become one of the first restaurant groups in the UK to become a certified B Corp business following an assessment process.

Poke House lines up first regional site in Cambridge

08-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Poke bowl brand Poke House has chosen Cambridge as the location for its first outpost outside of the capital following a successful response to its Deliveroo Editions kitchen in the city.

Kanada-Ya Ealing to open at the end of the month

07-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Ramen restaurant group Kanada-Ya will open its their fifth London site at the end of the month.

Boparan begins rollout of The Restaurant Hub in Sainsbury's

07-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has begun the supermarket rollout of its restaurant and takeaway brand The Restaurant Hub with an opening in a Sainsbury’s supermarket in Sydenham and a second in Wolverhampton on the cards.

Boparan Restaurant Group, Itsu, Patty & Bun, Hoppers and Coco di Mama to speak at The Omnichannel Foodservice Conference

07-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Representatives from companies including Boparan Restaurant Group, Itsu, Patty & Bun, Hoppers and Coco di Mama are speaking at The Omnichannel Foodservice Conference, being held in London in November.

Itsu to increase staff pay by 13% to help with cost of living woes

07-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Itsu is implementing its second pay rise for staff in the space of 12 months, as it commits to supporting its people with the cost living crisis.

Viable businesses 'face ruin', hospitality bosses warn

06-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The bosses of KFC, Itsu, Just Eat, Pret a Manger, Pizza Hut and the Kebab Alliance have demanded a rapid VAT cut to protect businesses facing unprecedented short-term headwinds.

The Lowdown: restaurant merch

02-Sep-2022 By Stefan Chomka

Forget haute cuisine, haute couture is this season’s must have restaurant accessory.

Immersive adult-only fairground to launch at London's Canary Wharf

02-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

An immersive, adult-only competitive socialising concept inspired by classic fairground games and featuring street food kiosks and three bar areas is to launch in London's Canary Wharf next month.

Patisserie Valerie to close nine sites

02-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Patisserie Valerie is closing nine sites which “have not recovered well” following the pandemic.

You Me Sushi looking to treble its estate through franchising

02-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Sushi business You Me Sushi is looking to grow its estate three-fold in the next two years as it looks to expand through franchising.

James Brown: “Cycene will be more ambitious than Maõs”

02-Sep-2022 By Joe Lutrario

The co-founder of Blue Mountain School is in the process of remodelling the converted Shoreditch townhouse for a new restaurant project that will have an extended kitchen and a new downstairs bar.

Delivery and takeaway sales continue year-on-year decline

01-Sep-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Delivery and takeaway sales for restaurants and pub groups were down by 19% in July, compared to July 2021, according to CGA’s Hospitality at Home tracker.

MEATliquor closes huge Clapham Old Town restaurant after less than a year - updated

31-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

MEATliquor has permanently closed its site in Clapham Old Town, London, less than a year after launching it.

Hospitality sales growth falters in five of the UK's top cities

31-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Only half of Britain’s 10 biggest city centres are experiencing growth in out-of-home food and drink sales as momentum slows in the sector, new data shows.

Operation: Falafel set for London debut

30-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

Dubai-born street food concept Operation: Falafel is to make its UK debut next month in London's Camden, ahead of plans for a wider roll out across the country

Sons + Daughters to double up with Borough Market opening

25-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy are to launch a second Sons + Daughters restaurant having acquired the former Stoney Street by 26 Grains site in London's Borough Market.

Gordon Ramsay is taking his Lucky Cat to Manchester

23-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Gordon Ramsay is looking to take his Lucky Cat Asian restaurant brand to Manchester with an application to take on the former Jamie’s Italian site in the city.

Latest opening: Salt Yard Borough Market

22-Aug-2022 By Stefan Chomka

The Spanish and Italian-focused tapas bar and restaurant has taken a prime spot at London’s Borough market.

Individual Restaurants reports loss in 2021

22-Aug-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Individual Restaurants (IRC) Limited company has reported a loss after tax of £8.2m for the financial year ending 27 March 2022, down from £23m the previous year.

Tim Hortons to open first dark kitchen as expansion drive continues apace

19-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Canadian restaurant brand Tim Hortons is to open its first dark kitchen in London following its entrance in the capital last month.

Food hall to open in Ormskirk's former indoor market

18-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

A food and drink market is to open in Ormskirk this autumn in the space that was once home to the town’s indoor market.

Taco Bell reaches 100 UK sites

18-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant brand Taco Bell has opened it 100th UK site following 18 months of rapid growth.

Caribbean restaurant Ma Petite Jamaica heads to Shoreditch

18-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Caribbean restaurant Ma Petite Jamaica is opening a second London restaurant, in Shoreditch.

Comptoir Group touches down at Stanstead airport

17-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Lebanese restaurant chain Comptoir Group has opened its latest restaurant at London Stansted Airport in partnership with franchise partner HMSHost International.