Casual Dining

Restaurant radar: September 2023

05-Sep-2023 By Restaurant

This month's key openings include the rebirth of a London landmark, Adejoké Bakare’s much anticipated reimagining of her West African restaurant Chishuru, and a new concept from Leonid Shutov.

Richard Caring: ‘Bill’s is back on track’

04-Sep-2023 By James McAllister

Richard Caring has said that Bill’s is ‘back on track’ after the group reported that trading was ‘ahead of expectations’ in its half year results.

Bone Daddies confirms Leicester Square opening

30-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Bone Daddies has confirmed it will open its next ramen bar this October close to London’s Leicester Square.

Confidence high amongst hospitality leaders despite ongoing cost and staffing challenges

29-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Optimism among Britain’s hospitality leaders has risen for the third quarter in a row, the new Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth reveals.

Dishoom expects full profit recovery in 2023

29-Aug-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Dishoom neared £100m turnover in 2022 and expects to return to pre-pandemic levels of profitability in 2023, according to its latest filings to Companies House.

‘Material uncertainty’ over the future of Pizza Hut Restaurants as it looks to refinance debt - updated

29-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Auditors have warned of a ‘material uncertainty’ over the future of Pizza Hut Restaurants as it looks to refinance almost £31m of its £73m debt pile.

Delivery and takeaway sales see second successive month of growth

24-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s top managed restaurant groups achieved year-on-year growth in delivery and takeaway sales of 4% in July, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

Peter Lloyd lines up third Sticky Mango restaurant in Islington

23-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Chef restaurateur Peter Lloyd will open a third Sticky Mango restaurant late next month in London’s Islington.

Tom Kerridge's Butcher's Tap & Grill to open in Chelsea

21-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Tom Kerridge has confirmed he will be opening a second site under his Butcher’s Tap & Grill brand later this year in London’s Chelsea.

Restaurant groups enjoy sales boost as wet weather dampens growth for pubs and bars

18-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s managed market recorded the tenth successive month of year-on-year sales growth in July, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows, with restaurant groups enjoying a boost of over 10%.

Lucy Knowles named Cosy Club managing director

18-Aug-2023 By Restaurant

Loungers has appointed Lucy Knowles as managing director of its Cosy Club brand.

Neat Burger launches grab and go format

14-Aug-2023 By Restaurant

Vegan fast food brand Neat Burger has resumed its expansion push in the UK with the opening of two sites this month, including a new format.

UK’s top 100 restaurant groups see profits increase twelvefold

07-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

The UK’s top restaurant businesses have recorded a twelvefold increase in their profits, new research by UHY Hacker Young shows.

Street food village STACK to open Midlands venue

07-Aug-2023 By Restaurant

Container street food village brand STACK is set to open its first venue in the Midlands having successfully completed on a site in Northampton.

Chain restaurants drive menu price increases

07-Aug-2023 By Restaurant

Food menu inflation has increased by 14.4% year-on-year, according to Lumina Intelligence’s latest Menu Tracker Quarterly Report of Q2 2023, driven primarily by chain restaurants and QSR operators.

Adam Jones: “Fenix is the most complicated and expensive thing we have ever done”

04-Aug-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The brothers behind upmarket Chinese restaurant Tattu will launch Fenix, a Greek restaurant in Manchester’s St. John’s development later this year. And they’re not stopping there.

Latest opening: Arcade Battersea

04-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

There’s no sense of second-album syndrome to the much-touted follow up to Arcade’s original food hall at Centre Point, which has just launched within Battersea Power Station.

New York restaurant Llama Inn to open London outpost

03-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

New York-based Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn is to launch its first London outpost next month on the rooftop of The Hoxton hotel in London’s Shoreditch.

Creams signs nationwide franchise agreement to open within Tesco Cafés

01-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Fast casual dessert brand Creams Cafe has signed a nationwide franchise agreement with Tesco Family Dining Limited.

Yummy Pubs tees up new seafood restaurant concept

01-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Yummy Pubs is to launch a new British seafood restaurant concept after acquiring the former Villagio site in London’s Hammersmith.

Dishoom plans ‘all-new offering’ for Brighton site

01-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Dishoom’s forthcoming Brighton site will feature an ‘all-new offering’ from the group and open under a new name taken from the bars found in every one of its restaurants.

Chickpea Group adds Salisbury venue to its portfolio

01-Aug-2023 By Restaurant

The team behind the Wiltshire-based Chickpea Group have acquired a sixth pub that will reopen this summer.

Delivery and takeaway sales return to growth after 18 month decline

01-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups in June were 4% ahead of the same month in 2022, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

Megan’s to relaunch Parsons Green site as Ollie’s House

27-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

Neighbourhood-style restaurant group Megan’s has closed its site in London's Parsons Green ahead of plans to relaunch it next month under its ‘little brother’ pan-Asian brand Ollie’s House.

How I Got Here: Lisa Richards

26-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

The founder of Margate's recently-relaunched GB-PIZZA-CO on how she came to work in restaurants, her issue with WhatsApp groups, and challenging banter culture in the kitchen

Pub growth comes ‘at the expense of restaurants’ as sunshine warms up managed groups' sales

26-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups recorded a ninth successive month of year-on-year sales growth in June 2023, the new Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Activist investor weighs bid for TRG divisions

24-Jul-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Activist investor TMR Capital is plotting to break up The Restaurant Group (TRG), weighing a bid for two of its four divisions.

Kill The Cat team launches Spitalfields bar and kitchen

21-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind craft beer bar and bottle shop Kill The Cat on London's Brick Lane has launched a new bar and kitchen concept within Spitalfields Market.

Incipio to open neighbourhood NYC-inspired bar

20-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

The group behind London venues including The Prince, Pergola and Lost in Brixton, has announced plans to open bar The 411 in Angel this autumn.

Wagamama’s noodle lab returns to Soho

20-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

Wagamama’s noodle lab has returned to Soho, taking up residence at the group’s restaurant on Great Marlborough Street.

Wagamama continues to trade ‘strongly’ as TRG toasts ‘very encouraging’ year-to-date performance - updated

19-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced a strong like-for-like (LFL) trading performance for the first half of the year with rising sales across its Wagamama, concessions and pubs divisions.

Business confidence remains ‘well below’ pre-Covid levels as soaring prices pile pressure on hospitality

19-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality’s post-Covid recovery continues to be threatened by rising prices in multiple key areas, leaders have warned in the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth.

Turtle Bay toasts 'record year'

18-Jul-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Turtle Bay has reported record sales of £90.1m for the year ended 2 April 2023, up 5.5% on the prior year.

Eating out market remains stagnant

17-Jul-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

The eating out market remains stagnant year-on-year, with weekly eating out frequency and penetration remaining unchanged due to the cost of living crisis, according to Lumina Intelligence.

Business profile

Passing the Baton: the man charged with The Wolseley Hospitality Group’s growth

17-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

Charged with leading the growth and evolution of The Wolseley Hospitality Group, Baton Berisha is looking to bring a contemporary flavour to the group’s more classical approach.

Percentage of UK restaurant companies making a profit doubles

17-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

The percentage of UK’s top 100 restaurant companies that are now making a profit has doubled in the past year, according to new figures.

Bone Daddies enjoys ‘consistent demand’ as revenue rises

13-Jul-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Bone Daddies has reported £17.3m in revenue for the year ended 30 September 2022, up 57.5% on the £11m reported in FY21.

How I Got Here: Yousif Aslam

12-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

The co-founder and managing director of Heavenly Desserts, which operates around 50 sites across the UK and Canada, on honing his business model and why he wants VAT reduced.

The Big Table Group serves up 'resilient' performance

12-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

The group behind restaurant brands Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Banana Tree, and Amalfi has reported resilient trading in 2022.

Irenic calls on The Restaurant Group chairman to step down - updated

12-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) is facing yet more pressure from investors after Irenic Capital Management called on the company’s board to replace chairman Ken Hanna.

Alan Yau to launch retail and restaurant ramen concept

10-Jul-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Wagamama founder Alan Yau is to launch a restaurant and retail concept selling plant-based ramen.

Half Cut Market appoints Jack Newton as head chef

06-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

North London restaurant, wine bar and bottle shop Half Cut Market has appointed Jack Newton as its first permanent head chef.

Uncorked: Harry Lobek

06-Jul-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The London Shell Co. co-founder on pairing champagne and crisps, why Greece is an underrated wine region, and drinking a Chateau Palmer 1990 from the pavement having dropped it.

Six by Nico heads to Cardiff for first Welsh location

06-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

'Ever-evolving' tasting menu restaurant brand Six by Nico will open its first Welsh location next month in Cardiff.

Prezzo restructuring approved by High Court

05-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

Prezzo’s restructuring plan, which saw it close nearly a third of its estate earlier this year, has been approved by High Court, marking the end of the group’s ‘strategic reshaping’.

D&D quietly shutters Canary Wharf restaurant Plateau - updated

05-Jul-2023 By James McAllister

D&D London has quietly closed its contemporary French-style restaurant Plateau in London’s Canary Wharf.

Pret expands in Dubai

05-Jul-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Pret a Manger is expanding its operations in Dubai with two new shops opening this week and a further three planned by the end of the year.

PizzaExpress announces new delivery platform

04-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

PizzaExpress is launching its own delivery platform in partnership with Uber Eats.

Le Pain Quotidien owner enters administration

04-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

Belgian bakery and coffee chain Le Pain Quotidien has gone into administration with all but one if it sites closed.

Restaurant closures reach decade high

04-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

Restaurant closures reached the highest quarterly figure in a decade in the first quarter of the year, new data has shown.