Casual Dining

Chotto Matte to expand into Georgia

19-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Kurt Zdesar’s Japanese-Peruvian restaurant brand Chotto Matte is continuing to push forward with international expansion having secured a site in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Dalston Mexican restaurant Corrochio’s to quadruple in size following site expansion

18-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Regional Mexican taqueria Corrochio’s in London’s Dalston is to quadruple in size with the addition of a new 120-cover street level bar and restaurant.

Coffee group WatchHouse launches second crowdfunding campaign

18-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Coffee house brand WatchHouse has launched a second crowdfunding campaign to support its global expansion.

Celebrations and early Easter holiday lift hospitality groups to 5.2% growth in March

18-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Britain’s top hospitality groups achieved above-inflation like-for-like sales growth of 5.2% in March 2024, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Clean Kitchen Club swaps plant-based menu for whole food approach following ‘tough year’

17-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Clean Kitchen Club co-founder Verity Bowditch is to leave the business following a decision that will see the formerly plant-based fast food brand add animal products to its menu.

Flash-grilled: Rachel Morgan

17-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

The co-founder of Edinburgh-based restaurant and bakery group Twelve Triangles on why its important to stay in jobs for a decent length, and finding solace by chatting with chickens.

Hostmore set to acquire TGI Fridays’ US business

16-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Hostmore, the owner of the TGI Fridays UK franchise, has reached an agreement for a proposed all-share acquisition of TGI Fridays in the US for a value of £177m.

Squatters take over Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany with plans to turn it into a community hub

15-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Squatters have taken over Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany restaurant and hotel with plans to open it as a community venue.

Nell’s expands Manchester estate as it plots further growth

12-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

New York-style pizza brand Nell’s is to launch a new site in Manchester’s city centre, bringing its estate to four sites in the city.

Busaba ‘well placed to face economic challenges’

12-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Thai restaurant group Busaba has said it is ‘well placed to face the anticipated customer and market economic challenges ahead’ despite a slight drop in sales.

Big Fang tees up first London site

11-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Competitive socialising group Big Fang Collective has confirmed it will open its first London outpost later this year, having secured a site in Waterloo.

Temper to launch ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week

11-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

London-based steakhouse and barbecue restaurant group Temper will launch the first site under its new ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week in White City.

Revolution Bars plots further closures as it sets out restructuring plan

11-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Revolution Bars Group has set out a proposed restructuring plan that will see offload up to 18 sites alongside raising up to £12.5m in equity.

Justin Carter named Loungers group managing director in one of three key appointments

08-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Loungers has made three key appointments across its business as it continues to expand.

Pizza Pilgrims: “Getting B Corp status is the beginning, rather than the finish line”

05-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Pizza Pilgrims co-founder Thom Elliot chats about the group’s journey to B Corp status, and how he hopes to use it to build a better business for the future.

Zia Lucia opens first regional restaurant in Reading

04-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Pizzeria group Zia Lucia has opened its first restaurant outside of the capital in Reading.

Ping Pong to trial 15% ‘brand charge’ ahead of tipping law introduction

03-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

London-based dim sum chain Ping Pong has scrapped service charge and is replacing it with a discretionary 15% ‘brand charge’ to fund wage rises for all of its restaurant teams.

The Breakfast Club cuts costs in a bid to improve performance

03-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Cost cutting helped The Breakfast Club improve its financial performance last year, the group’s latest results have shown.

“I just have nothing left” – Ben Ambridge closes The Fox's Revenge pub and Onda restaurant

02-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Cornish chef Ben Ambridge has announced the closure of his Summercourt pub The Fox's Revenge and its nearby sister restaurant Onda in Wadebridge.

Shares in Revolution Bars suspended after it fails to publish interim results

02-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Revolution Bars has had its shares temporarily suspended from the AIM index of the London Stock Exchange after being ‘unable’ to publish its interim results last week.

Latest opening: Unlock

28-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Napoli-born siblings Arianna and Giovanni Izzo’s first London opening is part pizza restaurant; part cocktail bar; and part art space.

Generation Next

The man who went from scotch egg slinger to seasoned restaurateur

28-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

With his HAM Restaurants group, Crispin and Bistro Freddie founder Dominic Hamdy is slowly building a London-centric empire.

What restaurant technology is making a difference in 2024?

26-Mar-2024 By Restaurant

Restaurant is producing a report looking at what technologies are helping keep those in the sector competitive.

Dishoom to take the Permit Room to Cambridge

26-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Indian restaurant group Dishoom is taking its fledgling spin-off brand the Permit Room to Cambridge for its second site.

Rigatoni’s halves estate less than three months after brand overhaul

25-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Rigatoni’s, the Manchester-based restaurant group that previously traded under the name Sud Pasta, has announced the closure of its second site in as many months.

Whitbread looks to offload underperforming Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites

25-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Whitbread is looking to sell or convert around a third of its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre pubs estate.

Tony Rodd to oversee the stoves at new Margate restaurant

25-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Chef Tony Rodd is to oversee the stoves of a new neighbourhood-style restaurant and wine bar being launched in Margate by former Jamie Oliver Group MD Ryan Jacovides.

Delivery sales rise 8% in February as takeaways drop again

21-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups achieved year-on-year sales growth of 8% in delivery sales in February 2024, CGA by NIQ’s new Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

Gino D’Acampo’s My Pasta Bar brand wound up

21-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Gino D’Acampo’s London-based My Pasta Bar brand has been wound up by administrators.

Majestic Wine ‘exploring deal’ to purchase Vagabond

19-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Specialist wine retailer Majestic has confirmed it is exploring a deal to purchase beleaguered bar group Vagabond.

Prezzo returns to profitability following restructure

18-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Prezzo has returned to profitability following a restructure of its business that saw it close nearly a third of its estate last year.

Friday five: the week's most-read hospitality stories

15-Mar-2024 By Restaurant

The closure of Paul Foster's GrassFed, and new projects for The Groucho Club, Des Gunewardena, and Sandwich Sandwich are among this week's most-read stories.

STACK unveils plans to open in Wigan's Grand Arcade

14-Mar-2024 By Restaurant

Container street food village brand STACK is continuing its expansion plans with a new site in Wigan.

Deliveroo reports strong progress in latest results

14-Mar-2024 By Restaurant

Deliveroo says that it has had a ‘resilient year of growth’ as it reports a rise in gross profits.

Restaurant groups deliver modest sales growth in February amid 'subdued trading'

14-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Britain’s top hospitality groups achieved modest like-for-like sales growth of 1.4% in February, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Yard Sale lines up twelfth site as it celebrates 10 years

12-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Neighbourhood pizza shop Yard Sale Pizza will open its 12th London site next month on Dartmouth Park Hill in Tufnell Park.

Sticks'n'Sushi and Deliveroo announce exclusive partnership

11-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Danish-owned sushi and kushiyaki specialist Sticks’n’Sushi has launched an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo.

Pizza Pilgrims earns B Corp status

05-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Pizza Pilgrims has become the latest in a growing number of UK restaurant groups to have obtained B Corp status.

Latest opening: Trejo’s Tacos

05-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Hollywood actor Danny Trejo has chosen Portobello Road in London’s Notting Hill to launch the first international outpost of his LA-based Mexican restaurant brand Trejo’s Tacos.

Vagabond undertakes restructuring to ‘safeguard business’

05-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Pour-your-own wine bar group Vagabond is in the process of appointing administrators as it looks to undertake a restructuring to safeguard the business.

Food to go market expected to outpace pre-pandemic value this year

04-Mar-2024 By Hannah Currie

The UK food to go market is expected to grow 3.5% to a value £23bn in 2024, outpacing its pre-pandemic value by 9.3%.

How I Got Here: Florence Mae Maglanoc

04-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

The CEO of London-based restaurant group Maginhawa on the need for greater diversity in hospitality leadership roles, and grasping the potential of franchise opportunities.

Toca Social expands to Birmingham

01-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Immersive football and dining concept Toca Social is heading to Birmingham for its second UK site.

Karen's Diner in Brighton to close after traces of drugs found

01-Mar-2024 By Restaurant

A restaurant known for its rude service and staff with attitude is closing in Brighton.

Restaurant closures surge to highest ever quarterly total

27-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Restaurant closures surged to the highest ever quarterly figure in the final quarter (Q4) of 2023, according to data obtained by Price Bailey.

Latest opening: Orleans Smokehouse

23-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has launched its first new concept in more than 15 years – a barbecue smokehouse brand inspired by the spirit and cuisine of New Orleans.

The Lowdown: the rise of the Italian-American restaurant

23-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Fans of vodka pasta and gabagool have plenty to salivate about with Italian-American restaurants popping up across the capital and beyond.

Ellen Chew: “Singapulah is the most ambitious project I’ve ever undertaken”

23-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

The London-based restaurateur behind Rasa Sayang has launched an innovative concept on Shaftesbury Avenue that offers a platform for Singaporean food manufacturers looking to break into the UK market.

The Vurger Co closes final restaurants as business ceases trading

22-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Vegan fast-food restaurant group The Vurger Co has closed its final three restaurants less than a year after being bought out of administration.

‘Welcome stability’ in delivery and takeaway sector as sales rise for eighth consecutive month

21-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups last month were 4% ahead of January 2023, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.