Casual Dining

Yard Sale Pizza to open fifth site

17-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Yard Sale Pizza is to open its fifth London site - it’s biggest to date - in September, on the site that was formerly Bad Sports in Hackney.

Bird explores restructure to avoid administration

17-Jul-2019 By Sophie Witts

London fried chicken restaurant group Bird has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.

Vegetarian Middle Eastern pop up Bubala to go permanent this summer

16-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Vegetarian Middle Eastern feasting pop up restaurant Bubala will open its first permanent restaurant in the capital this year.

Franco Manca owner planning further 8-10 restaurants

16-Jul-2019 By Sophie Witts

The operator of the Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurant brands is planning to open between eight and ten further sites in the next year.

Butcher and the Farmer to make European debut

16-Jul-2019 By James McAllister

Australian-founded ‘farm to table’ concept Butcher and the Farmer is to make its European debut at the ICON Outlet shopping centre at London’s The O2 in September.

Pork focused restaurant Pigsty closes Bristol site

16-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Bristol-based specialist pork restaurant Pigsty has closed its Gloucester Road site after just one year of trading.

Aizle chef to open second Edinburgh restaurant

11-Jul-2019 By Sophie Witts

The chef behind well-regarded Edinburgh fine dining restaurant Aizle is to open a second site in the city next month.

Neil Rankin to take on "heavily processed" vegan burgers

11-Jul-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Temper chef Neil Rankin is to launch a vegan burger restaurant that will provide an alternative to the "heavily processed" meat substitutes that most in the space are using.

Big trouble in little China?

11-Jul-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Chinatown is changing. The number of Cantonese restaurants is being reduced with the introduction of more specialist, regional Chinese and pan-Asian places in a bid to attract a broader spectrum of customers. But as the big money international players...

Latest opening: Dusk

10-Jul-2019 By James McAllister

With a dry bar, shisha lounge, and a former Great British Menu chef fusing Mediterranean and Asian cooking with molecular gastronomy, Dusk could become one of Essex’s most eccentric dining destinations.

David Carter and Chris Leach's residency kicks off new West End incubator project

09-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The former Magpie site on Mayfair’s Heddon Street is being turned into an incubator site for new restaurant concepts, with Smokestak’s David Carter and Petersham Nurseries’ Chris Leach its first tenants.

'Complacency is death': what's next for Patty & Bun?

09-Jul-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Joe Grossman’s London-centric chain Patty & Bun is responding to challenges in the premium burger market with two new concepts and the launch of several vegan dishes.

'World's first cheese conveyor belt restaurant' to open in Covent Garden

08-Jul-2019 By Stefan Chomka

A YO! Sushi style cheese and charcuterie restaurant where plates are delivered to diners via a conveyor belt is set to open in Covent Garden this September.

Five tips to securing investment in a challenging market

08-Jul-2019 By Catherine Gannon

In the current climate, it might seem as though the finance market has fallen out of love with the hospitality sector, leaving many operators wondering how they can fund their growth plans. Here, Catherine Gannon, founder of Gannons Solicitors, offers...

Monty's Deli to close flagship Hoxton restaurant

04-Jul-2019 By Sophie Witts

London’s 'Jewish soul food' restaurant Monty’s Deli is to close its flagship Hoxton site after two years of trading.

Monsieur Le Duck looking to expand in London and beyond

03-Jul-2019 By James McAllister & Andrew Don

French-focused brand Monsieur Le Duck has its sights set on opening two more London locations, BigHospitality’s sister website MCA has learnt.

Can YO! Sushi finally crack the US market?

03-Jul-2019 By Sophie Witts

YO! Sushi has made another play for the North American market with the acquisition of US operator Snowfox.

Red's True Barbecue is bought out of administration

28-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Red's True Barbecue has been bought out of administration by club, bar and music venue operator Tokyo Industries.

Mourad Mazouz to bring Mo Diner to Mayfair next month

27-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Sketch London and Momo founder Mourad Mazouz is to open a colourful Mediterranean take on the classic American diner in Mayfair next month.

Video: Unlocking seafood’s potential

27-Jun-2019 By Restaurant

Restaurant magazine teamed up with Seafood from Norway earlier this month to host a seafood focused workshop, discussion and lunch at Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden.

Levi Roots closes his Westfield Stratford Caribbean Smokehouse

26-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Levi Roots Caribbean Smokehouse, the casual dining concept fronted by the Dragon’s Den star, has closed its single site in London’s Westfield Stratford.

Harts Group: madmen or visionaries?

25-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Last year Harts Group opened four venues at Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross. Despite lower than expected footfall at the development, the group has doubled down with a fifth, Parrillan. So are the trio behind it madmen or visionaries?

Coco di Mama to expand following Azzurri's acquisition of Pod

24-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Healthy breakfast and lunch restaurant brand Pod has been brought by the Azzurri Group as part of a ‘pre-pack’ deal after the chain fell into administration last week.

Flash-grilled: Alex Hely-Hutchinson

21-Jun-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Alex Hely-Hutchinson is the founder of popular Covent Garden breakfast spot 26 Grains, which offers a health-focused menu specialising in porridge. She recently launched an evening set menu.

Kensington Park Hotel in Notting Hill to reopen as Harcourt Inns gastropub KPH

21-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The Kensington Park Hotel (KPH) on London’s Ladbroke Grove is to reopen next month following an extensive, two-year restoration.

Bodean's BBQ closes Balham restaurant and eyes delivery hub

21-Jun-2019 By Andrew Don

Bodean’s BBQ has exited its Balham restaurant, blaming the accumulation of high delivery costs on top of steep rents and rates.

US brand Sweet Chick poised to make UK debut

20-Jun-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

Sweet Chick, the US fried chicken and waffle concept backed by rapper Nas, is set to make its UK debut with a site in Fitzrovia.

How I Got Here: Kieran Waite

20-Jun-2019 By Joe Lutrario

Kieran Waite is the co-founder and director of Bristol's five-strong Season & Taste hospitality group, which opened Mexican restaurant Masa + Mezcal this spring.

What restaurants can learn from Wahaca’s PR disaster

18-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The latest PR nightmare for Wahaca has shown the importance for restaurants to be clear about how pay and tips are distributed, or taken away.

Can Carluccio's avoid the same fate as Jamie's Italian?

17-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The collapse of Jamie's Italian has put a fresh spotlight on restaurant chains that survived last year's 'casual dining crunch'. Can Carluccio's avoid the same fate?

A Day in the Life: Nisha Katona

14-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The former barrister opened Indian restaurant Mowgli in Liverpool in 2014. The group now operates sites in Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford, Nottingham and Sheffield, with Cardiff, Leicester and Bristol to open this year.

Rock star: how Mitch Tonks created a coastal casual dining empire

13-Jun-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

Rockfish, the seafood restaurant group from Mitch Tonks, recently opened its most ambitious site yet in Exeter. And it’ll be spreading its net wider soon.

Chef Thomas Piat to oversee D&D London's City restaurant

13-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Thomas Piat, former executive chef at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London, is to oversee D&D London’s upcoming restaurant in The City.

How I Got Here: Paul Fletcher

12-Jun-2019 By Joe Lutrario

The innovation chef for Bar + Block Steakhouse has a CV that includes Chez Gerard, Scott’s and Argentine steak houses Buenos Aires and Gaucho.

Polpo: a look back at the past 10 years

11-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

This September Polpo celebrates its 10th anniversary. We chart the past decade of the trailblazing Venetian small plates restaurant group, and look at what could come next.

Tonkotsu secures £5m funding towards expansion

11-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Ramen restaurant group Tonkotsu is planning further expansion after securing £5m funding from investment firm YFM Equity Partners.

Flat Iron confirms new site this summer as turnover rises

07-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

The Flat Iron steakhouse group has confirmed it is planning to open a further London restaurant this summer.

Jason Atherton closes Social Wine and Tapas

06-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Jason Atherton has closed his Social Wine and Tapas restaurant in London’s Marylebone.

Line up revealed for Market Halls' intu Lakeside venture

05-Jun-2019 By Stefan Chomka

Restaurant brands Burger & Beyond, Curry on Naanstop, Baozilnn, Fanny’s Kebabs, Mother Clucker and Fundi Pizza will open in the third Market Halls venture at intu lakeside.

Wahlburgers plans to open 15 sites across the UK

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister & Finn Scott-Delany

Casual dining burger and bar brand Wahlburgers is hoping to rapidly expand operations in the UK, BigHospitality’s sister website MCA has learnt.

Restaurant radar: June 2019

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

From Quique Dacosta’s London debut to the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, here are June’s key restaurant openings.

D&D to rent restaurant space to freelancers

04-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

High-end restaurant group D&D London is to launch a new app in a bid to lure freelancers and self-employed workers looking for somewhere quiet to work.

Red Dog Saloon founder: “There were so many bad barbecue restaurants, people got sick of it”

03-Jun-2019 By Sophie Witts

Tom Brooke launched American restaurant Red Dog Saloon in London in 2011 and has since grown the brand to three sites in the capital and one each in Southampton, Liverpool and Nottingham.

Ooty opens casual concept in Birmingham

03-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Ooty Station, the all-day café and bar concept from the team Indian fine-dining restaurant Ooty, has opened within Selfridges Birmingham as part of a franchise partnership.

Huge new food market to open in Bishopsgate next year

31-May-2019 By Stefan Chomka

London will become home to yet another huge ‘food hub’ with the opening of The Market in London’s Bishopsgate next year.

Coppa Club to open two sites this summer

31-May-2019 By Stefan Chomka

All-day dining restaurant brand Coppa Club has confirmed it will open two new sites this summer as part of its ‘targeted expansion plans’.

Top 100 UK restaurant groups lost £82m in the last year, says report

28-May-2019 By James McAllister

Nearly half of the of the UK’s Top 100 restaurant groups are now loss making, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.

Latest opening: Soutine

24-May-2019 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant group Corbin & King's ninth opening draws inspiration from Paris and its London neighbourhood.

The Coconut Tree eyes expansion as David Phelps joins board

24-May-2019 By James McAllister

Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree has confirmed it has intentions to expand to locations including London, Brighton and Reading.

20 Jamie Oliver restaurant sites put up for sale

24-May-2019 By Sophie Witts

Twenty restaurant sites which traded as part of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group have been put up for sale following the company’s collapse this week.