Casual dining - Hospitality

San Carlo toasts turnover boost

27-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

Turnover for Italian restaurant group San Carlo has risen by 137% to £68.9m, up from £29.1m the year before.

TRG hit with fresh investor attack following senior team appointments

26-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) is facing fresh pressure from one of its main shareholders for promoting a finance chief with close links to its CEO, Andy Hornby.

Dirty Bones shutters half its estate amid pre-pack deal

26-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

New York-inspired restaurant group Dirty Bones has sold half of its six-strong estate in a pre-pack administration deal.

Timberyard team to launch Montrose House wine bar

26-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind family-run Edinburgh restaurant Timberyard are to launch a wine bar in the Scottish capital’s Abbeyhill area this autumn.

TRG shakes up senior team amid investor pressure

21-Jun-2023 By Restaurant

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced changes to its senior team, with a new CFO announced and an overhaul of management in the group’s Leisure & Concessions division.

Muted sales rise for restaurants in May as pubs benefit from bumper bank holidays

21-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieved an eighth consecutive month of year-on-year sales growth in May 2023, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Beyoncé's BeyGOOD charity awards Tottenham restaurant Chuku's $10,000 grant

19-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Nigerian restaurant Chuku’s in London's Tottenham has been awarded a $10,000 grant by BeyGOOD, the charity founded by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

Azzurri Group acquires Ireland-based Mexican chain Boojum

19-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Azzurri Group has acquired a controlling interest in Ireland-based, fast-casual Mexican chain Boojum and plans to expand the brand across Great Britain.

M&B tipped as frontrunner in £600m Whitbread sale process

16-Jun-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has been tipped as the frontrunner in the sale of 250 of Whitbread’s 440 pub-restaurants.

Prezzo appoints new CFO in ‘final chapter’ of strategic review

15-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Prezzo has appointed Jo Harrison as its chief financial officer, marking ‘the final chapter’ of a strategic review that recently saw the group shutter nearly a third of its estate.

Margate’s GB-PIZZA-CO to reopen following fire

14-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Margate pizzeria GB-PIZZA-CO is to reopen its doors next month after an arson attack forced it to close in October last year.

Laylow team to launch new restaurant and bakery in Chelsea

12-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind Notting Hill members’ club and restaurant Laylow are to launch a new concept on the corner of Sloane Street and Ellis Street in London’s Chelsea this month.

Fulham Shore takeover deal voted through

12-Jun-2023 By Georgi Gyton

Fulham Shore’s acquisition by Japanese food conglomerate Toridoll for £93.4m has been approved by shareholders at a Court Meeting and General Meeting held on Friday (9 June).

Flat Iron to launch Cambridge restaurant next month

09-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Steakhouse group Flat Iron will open a huge, 120 cover restaurant next month on Market Street in Cambridge – its first site outside of London.

The Coconut Tree delays paying wages as it struggles with ‘unforeseen costs’

09-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree has told employees that payment of their wages for May have been delayed because of ‘unforeseen costs to the business’.

Yard Sale explores options for growth

06-Jun-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Neighbourhood pizza shop concept Yard Sale Pizza has appointed advisors as it considers 'a number of potential options' to grow the brand further.

Bancone heads to Borough Yards for ‘biggest opening yet’

05-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

London-based fresh pasta restaurant Bancone will open its third site next month in the Borough Yards development.

Business confidence rising in hospitality despite inflationary pressures

05-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

Optimism among leaders of Britain’s top hospitality groups has risen since the start of 2023, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth.

Restaurant radar: June 2023

02-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

This month's key openings include the new venture from husband-and-wife duo Joshua and Victoria Overington, Gunpowder founder Harneet Baweja's latest Indian restaurant concept, and a fifth UK site for Bundobust.

QSR occasions rise as diners seek inexpensive meal options

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

QSR occasions have increased by 1.3 percentage points (ppts) year on year, according to new data from Lumina Intelligence, as consumers seek inexpensive meal options amid the cost-of-living crisis.

How I Got Here: Emma Reynolds

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The co-founder of ramen chain Tonkotsu on cost pressures, trusting your gut, and her first restaurant job.

Crispin team to launch Bistro Freddie concept after acquiring Oklava site

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind London restaurants Crispin and Bar Crispin is to launch a new bistro concept this summer having acquired the former Oklava site in Shoreditch.

Neat Burger eyes further international growth following latest funding round

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

Neat Burger, the London-based vegan fast food concept backed by Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, is plotting further international expansion after raising $18m in its latest funding round.

Spring 2024 date set for Albert’s Schloss' London debut

31-May-2023 By Restaurant

Mission Mars will open its Albert’s Schloss venue in London next spring on the former Rainforest Café site on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Turtle Bay reaches 50 site milestone

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

Caribbean-inspired restaurant group Turtle Bay will open its 50th UK site in August in Camden, which will also mark the brand’s first outpost in north London.

Whitbread considering sale of restaurant brands

30-May-2023 By James McAllister

Whitbread is understood to be exploring the potential sale of part of its £700m pub and restaurant arm in order to focus its efforts on its Premier Inn hotel chain.

Latest opening: Lilienblum

26-May-2023 By Restaurant

Mizon founder Eyal Shani continues his march on the London food scene with his new Shoreditch restaurant.

Santoro brothers to launch new fast food concept

25-May-2023 By James McAllister

A pair of vegan-focused restaurateurs are to launch a new fast food restaurant in London’s Soho that will serve both meat and plant-based dishes.

Fazenda Bishopsgate will be the group's 'most ambitious restaurant yet'

25-May-2023 By Restaurant

South-American restaurant group Fazenda will open its first London restaurant in Bishopsgate this August.

Selina takes restaurant brand HOWM to Margate

25-May-2023 By Restaurant

Hospitality group Selina is bringing its British and European style restaurant brand HOWM to its Margate hotel.

Pizza Pilgrims to launch new deli concept as it prepares to open 20th pizzeria

24-May-2023 By James McAllister

Pizza Pilgrims will open its 20th restaurant this summer, which will launch alongside a new deli concept selling Italian produce and dry store goods.

TRG to keep remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after overcoming investor revolt

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has said it will keep its remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after more than a third of investors voted against it at the group’s AGM.

BrewDog to roll out across travel hubs under SSP partnership

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

BrewDog has partnered with SSP Group to bring the brand to various travel locations in the UK, beginning with a site at London Gatwick Airport.

Unite petition calls on PizzaExpress to abandon 'labour management scheme'

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

Unite union has launched a petition protesting PizzaExpress’s plans to slash hours for hundreds of its waiting staff and hand their duties over to restaurant managers, garnering support from thousands.

Spanish Tortilla restaurant Broken Eggs to open in Fitzrovia

23-May-2023 By Restaurant

Brother and sister duo Gabriel Larraz and Marta Verdu are to open a debut site of their Spanish tortilla concept Broken Eggs.

UK hospitality salaries outpace national average

22-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

UK hospitality employees received an average pay rise of 9.5% in the last year, compared to the national average of 6.6%.

Inception Group secures £6.7m loan to fund growth

22-May-2023 By Restaurant

Inception Group has secured a £6.7m loan from OakNorth Bank to continue to help fund its expansion.

Vinoteca blames energy prices and train strikes as it shutters Birmingham site

19-May-2023 By James McAllister

Wine bar and restaurant group Vinoteca is to close its huge site within Birmingham’s Paradise development after less than a year, blaming rising energy prices and ongoing train strikes.

Aktar Islam: “I'm worried my younger cooks have entered an industry that has no future”

19-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

As Birmingham restaurant Opheem turns five this year, its chef-patron questions the longevity of fine dining in its current form.

Chaakoo Bombay Café comes to Edinburgh

19-May-2023 By Restaurant

Glasgow restaurant Chaakoo Bombay Café is expanding beyond the city with a site in Edinburgh.

Tension builds ahead of TRG crunch meeting

19-May-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Hedge fund Oasis Management Company has ratcheted up its attacks on The Restaurant Group (TRG), accusing it of withholding information from key shareholders ahead of next week’s annual general meeting.

PizzaExpress cuts hours for waiting staff in job role shakeup

18-May-2023 By Restaurant

PizzaExpress is to slash hours for hundreds of its waiting staff and hand their duties over to restaurant managers, in a move that has been met with resistance from employees.

MEATliquor to expand through Sessions kitchens

17-May-2023 By Georgi Gyton

MEATliquor to expand across delivery-only kitchens for the first time after partnering with Sessions.

Social Pantry appoints James Spragg as non-executive chairman

15-May-2023 By James McAllister

London-based restaurant group and catering company Social Pantry has announced the appointment of former Casual Dining Group CEO James Spragg as its new non-executive chairman.

Nando’s rolls out energy recycling system

15-May-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Nando’s has announced it is using waste heat generated from its kitchen to heat water and buildings following the success of a year-long trial at its Didsbury branch in Manchester.

TRG faces new investor pressure

15-May-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has come under renewed pressure from investors after Coltrane Asset Management, which has built a 3% stake in the business, called for change at the company.