Casual Dining

Opening of the month: Southside Scran

12-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

The fourth restaurant in Tom Kitchin’s Edinburgh-based restaurant group is a neighbourhood bistro that bridges the gap between his Michelin-starred flagship and his popular gastropub

Soho's The Duck and Rice is looking to expand in London and overseas

10-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Soho-based pub and Chinese restaurant The Duck and Rice, which was founded by restaurateur Alan Yau, is looking for partners to expand across the capital and globally under licence.

Friday Five: the week's top news

07-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

We round-up some of the top hospitality stories you might have missed this week.

Jasper Gorst to open fourth restaurant early next year

07-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Restaurateur Jasper Gorst will open his fourth restaurant early next year, in London’s Battersea.

Steam powered: what's the deal with Din Tai Fung?

07-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Henry Chu, group CEO at BreadTalk Group, on bringing the famed Taiwanese restaurant to London.

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs buys Bea’s of Bloomsbury

07-Dec-2018 By Finn Scott-Delany

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs has bought premium tea and cake shop operator Bea’s of Bloomsbury.

Latest opening: Wallfish & Wellbourne Bistro

06-Dec-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Two respected Bristol restaurants have merged to create a single restaurant in Clifton Village.

How I Got Here: Z He

06-Dec-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Z He launched Cantonese steamed bun specialist Bun House in early 2017. She will open a second Bun House early next year just down the road from the Soho original.

PizzaExpress founder dies, aged 89

06-Dec-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Peter Boizot, the founder of the PizzaExpress restaurant chain, has died aged 89.

Sponsored by Nisbets In Place

Getting serious about food safety

04-Dec-2018 By Restaurant

As recent events have shown, food safety and allergen awareness have never been more important for restaurant businesses.

Restaurant Radar: December 2018

04-Dec-2018 By Restaurant

There are no shortage of openings this month with high profile launches imminent from restaurants including Tamarind, Spuntino, Din Tai Fung and Imperial Treasure.

The Crown to open in Chiswick early next year

04-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Former Racine and Dover Street Arts Club chef Daniele Zaffora will head up the kitchen at The Crown, the fourth pub from award-winning pub group Harcourt Inns that is due to open next year.

Restaurant's R200 Awards winners announced

04-Dec-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurant groups including Nando’s, Mowgli, Honest Burgers and Tortilla were among the winners at Restaurant magazine’s R200 Awards, held last night (3 December) at Hawker House.

Simon Cope resigns as CEO of Byron

03-Dec-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Simon Cope has stepped down as chief executive of burger chain Byron.

Seven restaurant chains make Fast Track 100

03-Dec-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Seven branded restaurant chains have made the Fast Track 100, an annual league table that ranks Britain’s fastest growing private companies.

The Lowdown: Phones in restaurants

29-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Frankie & Benny’s is - ahem - ringing the changes by asking diners to lock away their phones prior to sitting down

Cambridge-based Provenance Kitchen to open first permanent restaurant

29-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Cambridge-based street food operator Provenance Kitchen will open its first permanent restaurant in the city next year.

How I Got Here: Joel Braham

29-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

The Good Egg's Joel Braham has cracked the London brunch market with his Jewish deli and Israeli-inspired dishes.

Latest opening: Macellaio RC Store Street

28-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Roberto Costa's fifth London site specialises in magnums and pizza, but Macellaio's high quality Fassone beef remains the star of the show.

The Breakfast Club to launch £750,000 crowdfund

28-Nov-2018 By James Wallin

The Breakfast Club is to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise £750,000 to fuel its next stage of growth.

No way, CVA: how to downsize without entering into a Company Voluntary Agreement

28-Nov-2018 By Matt Williams

The CVA has been this year's buzzword, but there are other ways to slim down a restaurant estate, says Matt Williams from law firm Fladgate LLP

Michael Caines to open a restaurant in Exmouth in 2020

28-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Michael Caines will open a restaurant in Exmouth in 2020 as part of a new development in the port town.

Winging it: how Bird cracked the chicken market

27-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

After a shaky start in east London, fried chicken and waffle specialist Bird has found success with new recipes, smaller locations and a focus on delivery

TRG Concessions and Crêpeaffaire team up

23-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

TRG Concessions has entered into a partnership with Crêpeaffaire which will see the fast casual crêpe and waffle specialist make its airport debut before the year is out.

The Vurger Co: 'how we proved the vegan doubters wrong'

23-Nov-2018 By Finn Scott-Delany

The Vurger Co co-founders Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts on building a loyal following, proving the vegan doubters wrong, and navigating an unfamiliar industry

Duo of new Thai restaurants promise to bring ‘reinvented Thai food’ to Soho next month

23-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

A double-headed restaurant is promising to bring ‘reinvented Thai food’ to London’s Soho when it opens next month.

Playing with fire: avoiding the hazards of solid-fuel cooking

20-Nov-2018 By Alex Rushmer

Wood and charcoal burning stoves and ovens are the current kit du jour in kitchens, but a decision to install one shouldn’t be taken lightly

Casual dining sector feels the pinch as like-for-like sales drop in October

19-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Like-for-like sales across the UK’s leading casual dining brands fell by 0.3% last month, reflecting the continuing pressure on the casual dining sector, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Acai Berry chooses Chelsea for second site

16-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Brazilian ‘superfood’ brand Acai Berry has opened a second grab-and-go site in Chelsea following the success of its inaugural bricks-and-mortar location in Soho’s Kingly Court.

12 steps to starting your own restaurant business

16-Nov-2018 By Chris Miller

Chris Miller, a star of Million Pound Menu and backer of restaurant brands Kricket, Kym's, Lina Stores and Island Poke, on how to seek investment and deal with investors

Thai restaurant group Mango Tree to lay roots in transport hubs

16-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Thai restaurant group Mango Tree is looking to gain a greater foothold in the UK with expansion into transport hubs such as airports and railway stations.

We want.... bowls?

15-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

First-time restaurateur Zarifa Ragimova is to open a Soho restaurant that serves food only in bowls.

HOP Vietnamese changes up for fifth City site

14-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Grab-and-go group HOP Vietnamese will launch its largest ever site at The Leadenhall Building (AKA The Cheesegrater) early next month.

KERB to launch its first bricks and mortar market

14-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Street food collective KERB and major London landlord Shaftesbury are teaming up to open a food hall concept in a former warehouse building in Covent Garden.

Latest opening: Pabellón

14-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Lee Shipley's follow up to Circo is located in a listed building next to Brighton Pavilion and again blends Spanish and Asian influences.

Breakfast carbonara and bespoke art: how Azzurri is keeping its Italian restaurants fresh

13-Nov-2018 By James Wallin

Azzurri Group says it is primed for further expansion following the group’s announcement that sales have rise 8.5% for the year to 1 July.

How I Got Here: Mark Lilley

13-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Mark Lilley founded healthy eating chain Abokado in 2004 with his wife Lindsay. The company has grown to 23 locations across London with further growth planned for next year.

Freaking out: restaurant milkshakes accused of containing 'grotesque' sugar levels

13-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Restaurant brands Toby Carvery and Five Guys have been singled out for serving milkshakes with ‘alarming’ and ‘grotesque’ levels of sugar by health charity Action on Sugar.

The Restaurant Group looks to raise £315m to fund Wagamama deal

12-Nov-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Restaurant Group (TRG) is planning to raise £315m through a rights issue to fund its acquisition of the Wagamama casual dining chain, despite facing criticism from shareholders and analysts.

Momo Canteen is coming to Canary Wharf with its third site

12-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

London-based pan-Asian mini restaurant group Momo Canteen will open its third site, in Canary Wharf, next month.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen approves restructuring plan

09-Nov-2018 By Sophie Witts

Creditors at Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) have voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of a restructuring plan that could see a number of restaurants close.

Flash-grilled: Stephen Tozer

09-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Stephen Tozer founded Le Bab with Ed Brunet in Soho back in 2015. Earlier this year the pair launched a larger upmarket kebab restaurant in Covent Garden called Maison Bab.

Latest opening: Barrafina, Casa Pastor, Plaza Pastor, The Drop

09-Nov-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Hart Group has gone all out with not one but four new venues at the newly opened Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross

Stone me! The UK's first cannabis restaurant to open in Brighton

09-Nov-2018 By Finn Scott-Delany

The UK’s first restaurant themed around cannabis ingredient CBD is set to open in Brighton.

Tony Kitous: "I want to see 1,000 Lebanese restaurants in the UK'

09-Nov-2018 By Food Spark

With a new site set to open in London Bridge, the Comptoir Libanais founder discusses the group's star dishes, making Lebanese food more accessible to the masses and why people are rediscovering Middle Eastern cuisine.

Latest opening: Vermuteria

07-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Anthony Demetre's new project is a low-key bar that celebrates vermouth as well as exploring the link between cycling and food and drink.

Scott Macdonald leaves role as Polpo MD

06-Nov-2018 By MCA

Scott Macdonald is believed to have left his role as managing director of Polpo after less than a year and a half in the role.

Former Ping Pong CEO has bao bun in the oven

05-Nov-2018 By Finn Scott-Delany

The former chief executive of dim sum restaurant group Ping Pong is launching Taiwanese concept Bao & Bing in London's Marylebone.

Zizzi Salisbury to reopen after novichok poisoning

05-Nov-2018 By Sophie Witts

A branch of Zizzi caught up in the Salisbury poisoning is to reopen to the public on 6 November.

How I Got Here: Martin Williams

01-Nov-2018 By Joe Lutrario

The actor turned steak magnate is best known for his stint at Gaucho as managing director and founding M Restaurants. He recently returned to Gaucho to lead a re-invigoration of the business.