High Street

Strikes and cold hammer high streets

20-Dec-2022 By Finn Scott-Delany

Rail strikes and the cold snap hit high street footfall last week, according to new data from Springboard.

Government looks to rejuvenate high streets by forcing landlords to let out vacant units

19-Apr-2022 By James McAllister

Vacant retail units could be repurposed as leisure or hospitality premises under Government plans to 'breathe new life' into Britain's high streets.

UK footfall reaches 50% of pre-lockdown levels

07-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

The footfall on UK high streets has returned to 50% of pre-lockdown levels, according to the latest data from Wireless Social.

Life after fraud claims and closures: what next for Patisserie Valerie?

01-Aug-2019 By Sophie Witts

The closure of a further 14 Patisserie Valerie stores last month indicates the bakery group’s troubles are far from over. Can its new owners secure its place on the high street?

Jamie's Italian CEO: "We became complacent...now we've got a fight on our hands"

22-Feb-2018 By Sophie Witts

The CEO of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has admitted the company has a "fight on its hands" to turn the business around after taking the decision to close 12 sites.

Mini Tortilla to launch as the brand looks beyond the high street

20-Nov-2017 By Sophie Witts

Burrito brand Tortilla is to launch a mini version of its high street restaurants as it looks to expand to residential and office-based sites.

Hotel restaurants: Five need-to-know trends

26-Oct-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Customers’ increased knowledge about food, increased informality, and the need to run restaurants as standalone businesses are some of the trends making the biggest impact on hotel food & beverage operations today, according to an expert panel.

AccorHotels to roll out Jamboree restaurant and coffee shop brands

18-Oct-2016 By Emma Eversham

AccorHotels is planning further roll out of its Jamboree restaurant brand in the UK following the success of its first at its Novotel in London's Blackfriars. 

Improving chain restaurants could stop 'death' of the UK high street

17-Jun-2016 By Sophie Witts

Improving the quality and variety of high street restaurants could help counter the decline of Britain's town centres, a new study claims.

Chef Jane Tran on the rise of the online restaurant

22-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

Canadian chef Jane Tran has gone from working at Bar Boulud to a role as executive chef at tech start-up EatFirst – which home-delivers restaurant-quality meals within minutes. 

Menu trends: Superfoods, popping candy and street food inspired dishes on the rise

26-Aug-2015 By Sophie Witts

High street chains are beginning to use increasingly eclectic ingredients inspired by independent and street food operators in a bid to attract customers, a new study shows.

Catering sector turnover has doubled in 20 years

11-Nov-2014 By Melodie Michel

The food and service management (FSM) sector has doubled its turnover since 1993, according to the British Hospitality Association (BHA).

Red tape could ‘derail’ pub sector potential

10-Oct-2014 By Melodie Michel

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has warned that despite growing economic potential, the pub and bar industry could suffer from the continued hike in legislation costs.

Coffee shops boosting our high streets

08-Jul-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Figures just released by research consultancy Allegra Strategies show that high streets throughout the UK are gaining a welcome economic and social boost from the rise in both independent and branded coffee shops setting up there. 

Happy New Year: What's hot in hospitality for 2014

03-Jan-2014 By Emma Eversham & Luke Nicholls

What does 2014 hold for the hospitality industry? We’ve looked into our crystal ball (and spoken to a few industry experts) to predict some of the big trends and developments in the world of restaurants, hotels and pubs over the next 12 months. 

High street restaurant brands score highly in customer satisfaction survey

05-Dec-2013 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant and café brands have scored highly in a list of the top 50 high street brands for customer satisfaction with Wagamama taking the number one spot overall.

Town locations remain streets ahead for diners

05-Dec-2013 By Stefan Chomka

The high street is still the preferred place for consumers to eat out and visit coffee shops, new research has shown, despite the growth in restaurant activity in out-of-town locations.

Huhtamaki refreshes summer range of 'cool' Polarity tumblers

31-Jul-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Disposable packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki has refreshed its summer product range which includes Polarity tumblers for cold drinks and paper food-to-go containers.

In the pipeline: Planning application research reveals big appetite for new restaurants

18-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Despite recent reports suggesting the high street is losing its appeal for acquisitive restaurant operators, the demand for new sites across the UK is actually higher than ever, with new research showing that over 50 planning applications are submitted...

Prezzo chief executive: Openings focus moving to Chimichanga

06-Sep-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Jonathan Kaye, chief executive of the Prezzo restaurant group, has told BigHospitality an increasing percentage of its future openings will be under the Chimichanga Mexican restaurant brand.

Late Night Levy: Forum of Private Business warns Government on 'stealth tax'

13-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Forum of Private Business has warned the proposed introduction of a Late Night Levy (LNL) is little more than a 'stealth tax' against business and will further harm pubs and operators catering for the night-time economy.

The Portas Review: Government response ‘too late’, says CVS

02-Apr-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Government’s response to the Mary Portas Review does give hope for the high street but it will not help businesses cope with record-high business rate bills and any reforms will therefore come too late for many. 

The Portas Review: Pub industry welcomes Government support and funding

30-Mar-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the Association of Multiple Licensed Retailers (ALMR) have welcomed the Government's official response to the Mary Portas Review to revive the high street which includes support for pubs and funding...

Benito's Hat King's Cross site a 'statement of intent'

10-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Benito's Hat Mexican Kitchen founder and director, Ben Fordham, has declared the forthcoming opening of a King's Cross site a 'statement of intent' for the restaurant chain with plans for two more sites this year and a move outside...

Mary Portas Pilots: Hospitality industry calls for greater importance to be placed on restaurants, pubs and bars

06-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The role restaurants, pubs and bars can play in the rejuvenation of the High Street in the UK needs to be increased if the 'Portas Pilots' scheme for towns, as a result of the Mary Portas review, are to be a success, according to hospitality...

The Portas Review: Recommendations could benefit high street restaurants and pubs

13-Dec-2011 By Emma Eversham

Recommendations put forward in a review of the UK’s high streets released by retail guru Mary Portas today could not only bring in more diners to town centre restaurants and pubs but could also make more sites available for operators looking to expand.

Labour calls for VAT cut

27-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Labour Party has called for a temporary cut in VAT to 17.5 per cent as it embarks on a campaign to rejuvenate Britain’s high streets.

BBPA: Pubs are key to high street revival

24-Jun-2011 By Tom Allsop & Becky Paskin

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has claimed that pubs should play a central role in government plans to create more prosperous and diverse high streets.

Restaurants, pubs and cafes now account for a third of high street shops

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and cafes now account for a third of independent high street shops in the UK, a study of 75,000 businesses has found.

High street restaurant salt levels are double the RDA

02-Feb-2009 By Becky Paskin

High street restaurants are serving meals containing twice the recommended daily allowance of salt, despite health warnings from the Food Standards Agency