Coronavirus

Many insurers continuing to 'sit on their hands' over business interruption claims

03-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

A large number of insurers are continuing to 'sit on their hands' over business interruption claims, leaving many operators stuck in limbo as they try to secure payouts.

Branded restaurants see steep decline

03-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Branded restaurants experienced a 16.6% outlet decline in 2020, according to research from Lumina Intelligence’s Operator Data Index.

Sunak told to extend furlough or risk mass unemployment

03-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

The Chancellor has been warned by both leading business groups and the trade union movement that Britain faces a period of mass unemployment if furlough isn't extended.

Hospitality sector could reopen under national rather than regional restrictions

02-Feb-2021 By Restaurant

The hospitality sector could reopen from the third lockdown under national rather than regional restrictions, according to Boris Johnson.

Burnt Chef Project launches free-to-use mental health support service for hospitality staff

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Not-for-profit social enterprise the Burnt Chef Project has launched a free-to-use mental health support service for hospitality staff.

Labour warns 650,000 hospitality businesses at risk of collapse before lockdown ends

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

More than a third of hospitality businesses – an estimated 650,000 companies – fear collapse in the next three months, Labour has warned.

Landlord launches legal action against hospitality tenants over unpaid rent

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Burger brand Five Guys and café chain Caffe Concerto are both facing legal action over unpaid rent after one of their landlords filed respective county court claims against each operator.

Returning to hospitality 'a priority' for many consumers post lockdown

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Four in five consumers say they hope to return to a hospitality venue within a few weeks of them reopening, according to new research from CGA.

Friday Five: the week's top news

29-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

This week's main hospitality news stories include the launch of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2021; speculation on when lockdown will end; and Mercato Metropolitano's global expansion plans.

Treasury reaffirms defence of EOHO as data shows 'no link' to increased Covid cases

29-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Treasury has reaffirmed its defence of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme (EOHO) after publishing data that showed there was 'no correlation' to rising Coronavirus cases.

Coppa Club operator Various Eateries obtains £2.5m interruption insurance payout

29-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Various Eateries, the restaurant group founded by hospitality entrepreneur Hugh Osmond, has received an interim payment of £2.5m under its Business Interruption Insurance (BII) policy.

Business interruption insurance: five steps to making a claim

29-Jan-2021 By Jonathan Cole

Businesses across the country are seeking pay outs on their business interruption insurance as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Follow these five steps to help you make a successful claim.

Holyrood extends business rates holiday

28-Jan-2021 By Joe Lutrario

The Scottish Government has extended the business rates holiday for hospitality, leisure and retail for three months in its latest Budget.

Hospitality ‘not a huge risk’ for transmission

28-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality 'certainly isn’t a huge risk' when it comes to the transmission of Coronavirus infection, public health officials have told Parliament.

'Three-stage' plan to end lockdown sees hospitality remain closed until May

28-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

A 'three-stage' plan to gradually ease lockdown restrictions in England will see pubs and restaurants remaining closed until May.

Oakman Inns strengthens pipeline for 2021

28-Jan-2021 By Joe Lutrario

Oakman Inns has added a freehold site in Harpenden to its 2021 pipeline following an ‘excellent’ response to its recent equity fund raise.

Sales collapse amid pandemic costs hospitality £200m a day in 2020

28-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality lost out on over half of its expected sales in 2020, with back-to-back lockdowns and ever-increasing restrictions costing the sector approximately £200m a day.

HSBC predicts “relatively swift” recovery for listed leisure companies

27-Jan-2021 By Joe Lutrario

HSBC is predicting a “relatively swift” recovery for listed travel and leisure companies when the sector is finally allowed to reopen.

Treasury has 'no plans' to extend VAT cut but Sunak insists more support is coming

27-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Treasury says it has 'no plans' to extend the VAT cut for the hospitality sector, despite the Chancellor warning that the economy will get worse before it gets better.

Night-time economy 'currently losing 40 businesses a week'

25-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has renewed calls for the Government to immediately extend financial support measures, claiming the sector is currently losing around 40 businesses a week.

Speculation over reopening date grows as 'halfway house' restrictions mooted for after Easter

25-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Speculation over when lockdown measures on hospitality could be lifted has continued to grow over the weekend, with the Government considering the introduction of 'halfway house' restrictions after Easter.

Consumer confidence sees 'sizeable' drop

25-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Consumer confidence about eating and drinking out has dropped by 10% since October, CGA’s first 2021 Hospitality Consumer Forecast reveals.

Friday Five: the week's top news

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

This week's main hospitality news stories include calls for Rishi Sunak to announce additional business support; fears over the end of the rent moratoria; and pubs struggling to access Government grants.

Industry leaders call on nightlife fans to submit evidence to Parliamentary inquiry

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Industry leaders from across the night-time economy have called on the public to take part in a recently launched Parliamentary inquiry into the devastating impact of Covid-19 on British nightlife.

Most hospitality businesses won't survive lockdown until May without further support

22-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

The vast majority of operators (79%) will not be able to survive a lockdown until May without further Government support, according to the latest findings from Lumina Intelligence’s Hospitality Leaders Poll.

Fears grow of a protracted lockdown as scientist suggests hospitality should stay shut until May

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Fears are growing that the hospitality sector could be forced to remain closed for much of the spring, after a scientist warned against opening pubs and restaurants before May.

Richoux and Villagio operator enters administration

21-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Dining Street Limited, the casual dining operator behind restaurant chains Richoux, Villagio and The Broadwick, has entered administration with 147 jobs lost.

Chancellor mulls further furlough extension

21-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is understood to be weighing up another extension of the Government’s Job Retention Scheme (JRS).

Hospitality for Heroes launches cookbook

21-Jan-2021 By Joe Lutrario

Hospitality for Heroes, the not-for-profit initiative responsible for providing close to 100,000 meals for the NHS since the start of the pandemic, is to launch a cookbook.

Wetherspoon eyes London expansion after raising £93.7m in new equity

20-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

JD Wetherspoon has raised £93.7m investment following a share placing to help see it through a predicted period of low sales upon reopening and drive further acquisitions in London.

UKHospitality: 'Business rates holiday and VAT cut extension essential for hospitality revival'

20-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has called for a 'bold package' of support to enable businesses in the sector to spearhead country’s economic revival in 2021.

Alex Reilley: "The end of the moratoria will leave thousands of businesses horrifically exposed"

20-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley expects the end of the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria in March will lead to a 'phenomenal glut' of CVAs across hospitality.

Scottish lockdown extended into February

19-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in mainland Scotland will remain closed until at least the middle of February after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced an extension to national lockdown restrictions.

Sunak urged to act on Covid business support before Budget

19-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the Government to announce extensions to business support measures in order to ensure the survival of firms until the economy reopens.

Greene King relaunches employee support fund

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Pubco and brewer Greene King is to relaunch its Coronavirus employee support fund later this month in partnership with the Licensed Trade Charity.

UKHospitality: GDP figures 'highlight economic importance of hospitality'

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has said the 'depressing' economic figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week highlight the economic importance of the hospitality sector.

Pandemic pain sees over 800 branded sites close

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

More than 800 branded restaurants, bars and coffee shops have closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, new research shows.

Sacha Lord: "Hospitality must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail"

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Greater Manchester's Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord has said hospitality in England must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail if the country returns to a tiered system.

Friday Five: the week's top news

15-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

We round-up this week's main hospitality news stories including restaurants potentially not reopening until May; the prospect of tighter takeaway restrictions; and MPs debating the creation of a Hospitality Minister.

D&D London considers suburban sites as it plans for post-Covid era

15-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

High-end restaurant group D&D London is considering expanding its suburban presence in light of the changes to people's social behaviour caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Supreme Court sides with policyholders in landmark business interruption case

15-Jan-2021 By Joe Lutrario

The Supreme Court says it “substantially allows” the appeal by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and hospitality campaign groups in what’s being hailed as a landmark case in the fight to get insurers to pay out for business interruption.

Whitbread confirms 1,500 job cuts as sales plunge

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Whitbread has confirmed 1,500 job cuts from across its restaurant and hotel businesses amid a downturn in trade that saw sales more than halve.

Up to 310,000 jobs on the line across hospitality and tourism without 5% VAT extension

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

More than 300,000 jobs across the hospitality and tourism sectors could be lost if the VAT rate reverts back to 20% in April 2021, trade bodies have warned.

PM rejects offer to meet Hospitality Minister campaigners

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shrugged off an offer to meet petitioners campaigning for the creation of a Minister of Hospitality.

Gold Service Scholarship to defer 2021 competition

13-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Gold Service Scholarship has announced it is to defer its 2021 competition schedule due to the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions.

Scotland tightens restrictions on takeaway and click and collect

13-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Scotland is to tighten restrictions on takeaway and click and collect services as part of a series of tougher lockdown measures set to come into force this weekend.

Tougher lockdown could see hospitality banned from offering takeaway services

12-Jan-2021 By James McAlllister

Hospitality businesses in England could be banned from offering takeaway and click-and-collect services under tougher lockdown proposals being considered by ministers.

Borough Market becomes first outdoor space in the UK to make face masks mandatory

12-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

Borough Market in London has become the first outdoor space in the UK to legally enforce the wearing of face masks in a bid to help curb the spread of Coronavirus.

Supreme Court judgement on business interruption test case set for Friday

12-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Supreme Court will deliver its judgement on the landmark test case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) against leading insurers over business interruption payouts this week.

Scottish Government announces top-up grants for hospitality

12-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Scotland will receive top-up grants of up to £25,000, the Scottish Government's Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has announced.