Restaurants
The Restaurants section on Catering Today delivers comprehensive coverage of the UK restaurant industry, from independent operators to national chains. It reports on business performance, openings, acquisitions, and leadership changes, alongside analysis of market trends, menu innovation, and consumer behaviour. With insight into finance, operations, technology, and sustainability, Catering Today provides hospitality professionals with the intelligence and updates shaping commercial strategy across the UK dining landscape.
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Jul- 2020 -28 July
Frankie & Benny’s to open a further 15 sites
Frankie and Benny’s has announced the reopening of a further 15 restaurants that have, taking the total number of reopened sites to 35 by the end of the month. The restaurant chain said it has followed “strict” Government and Public Health England guidelines and has worked “incredibly hard” to put…
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24 July
Pizza Express to reopen 150 more UK sites
Pizza Express has announced it is to reopen 150 more UK sites by early August. Some 71 restaurants will reopen for dine-in experience and dine-out services on 30 July and an additional 88 on 6 August. These next phases of Pizza Express’ reopening plan follow “test and learn” trials of…
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23 July
Oowee Vegan launches first site in Brighton
Plant-based diner Oowee Vegan has launched its first site Brighton. The group’s plant-based menu offers a range of American diner-style vegan dishes such as ‘beyond meat’ burgers, vegan fried ‘chicken’ and sriracha ‘shrimp’ loaded fries. Their signature dish is ‘The Big Oovee’, made up of a beyond meat patty, signature…
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22 July
Covent Garden owner offers rent relief for embattled tenants
The owner of Covent Garden, Capital and Counties (Capco), has offered to support its tenants through restructured lease agreements. Capco said that for certain tenants which are experiencing short-term cash flow issues, rental agreements will be linked to turnover for the second half of the year in exchange for other…
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22 July
Winchester’s River Cottage Kitchen permanently closes
Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen in Winchester has announced its permanent closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement on its website, the restaurant said: “We all face unprecedented challenges from Covid-19 and with a heavy heart, we have made the very difficult and sad…
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21 July
Plans revealed for more non-smoking outdoor options at restaurants
People using pubs, restaurants and cafes will soon have greater freedom to choose non-smoking outdoor areas, following an amendment tabled today (21 July) to legislation in Parliament. The government said businesses can already make their own non-smoking policies for outside space without the need for regulations, and that the new…
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21 July
Michelin-starred Wilks closes permanently
Bristol-based Michelin-starred Wilks restaurant has permanently closed. In a statement posted on the restaurant’s site, the restaurant said despite the announcement allowing restaurants to reopen, it decided “not to do so”. The statement read: “It has been an absolute joy running our restaurant since 2012. Wilks’s success is undoubtedly associated…
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20 July
Zizzi and Ask Italian to close 75 sites, 1,200 jobs at risk
Some 75 Zizzi and Ask Italian sites are set to close after the restaurant’s owner, Azzurri Group, was acquired by TowerBrook Capital Partners. The move has placed 1,200 jobs at risk and is the result of “unprecedented levels” of disruption in recent months as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.…
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17 July
Rick Stein to launch Stein’s on the Quay
The Rick Stein team has announced the launch of its new pop up restaurant Stein’s on the Quay in Padstow for summer 2020. The restaurant will be run by head chef Nick Evans and his team will aim to be serving up the “freshest Cornish catch of the day”. Stein’s…
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16 July
Pizza Express set to fall into hands of its lenders
Pizza Express is reportedly set to fall into the hands of its lenders, possibly as early as this month, which could lead to the possibility of store closures. According to the Financial Times, its lenders are in talks with its Chinese owners Hony Capital for a debt-for equity swap with…
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