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.

Aug- 2019 -

28 August

Pizza Express group earnings down by 7.7% in H1

Pizza Express saw its group earnings drop by 7.7% for H1, in spite of a small rise in sales for the 26 weeks up to 30 June. Group EBITDA for H1 was down 7.7% to £32.4m, with total sales up 2.6% and like-for-like sales up 0.2%. The group cited “industry-wide…
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27 August

Bill’s Restaurant & Bar to relaunch in September

Bill’s Restaurant and Bar, at intu Trafford Centre, is set for a new look as it undergoes a full relaunch in September 2019. The property will transform the restaurant and bar with a new interior, which will include modern décor, with “vibrant colours, luxurious velvet seating and stunning chandeliers”. The…
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27 August

Deep Blue Restaurants combines with Harry Ramsden’s

Deep Blue Restaurants Limited (Deep Blue) and Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) have agreed to combine the Deep Blue and Harry Ramsden’s brands. The transaction sees Deep Blue take over the entire estate of the 90-year-old Harry Ramsden brand, debt free, which includes outlets in 34 locations across the UK, Ireland…
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16 August

Wilderness Bar + Kitchen officially opens

Wilderness Bar + Kitchen, a three-storey eating, drinking and lifestyle venue in the Northern Quarter, Manchester has officially opened. The cooking at the restaurant will be modern European in style, with a kitchen team headed up by former Manchester House chef James Lord using ingredients from the most forward thinking…
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15 August

Tom Sellers launches Story by the Sea pop-up

Tom Sellers has closed his Michelin-starred London establishment, Restaurant Story, and taken the entire team to the Cornish Coast, to launch a six- week residency in Carbis Bay titled Story by the Sea. Located at the Carbis Bay Estate, set on the privately-owned Blue Flag beach, visitors can book for…
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15 August

Bangor restaurateurs banned for under-declaring sales

Two restaurateurs in Bangor, have been banned for under-declaring sales and failing to account for cash, according to the Department for Economy of North Ireland. Paul Stephen O’Kane (49) of Clifton Gate, Bangor and Amanda O’Kane (42) of Dunkeld Chase, Bangor, have been disqualified as a result of their “conduct”…
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14 August

Casual Dining Group commits to sourcing higher welfare chicken

Casual Dining Group (CDG), has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment, in a bid to improve welfare for the animal. The commitment requires companies to commit to a range of key standards by 2026 around slower growing chicken breeds, reduced stocking density, environmental enrichment, natural light, and humane slaughtering…
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13 August

‘Eatertainment’ helps to fuel sales at Caffe Concerto

The CEO of Caffe Concerto and LUX Group, Mohammed Borjak recently stated that a focus on “Eatertainment” in the food and beverage space has greatly contributed to the chains increasing popularity and “sales success” of Caffe Concerto. Borjak revealed that making its menu more accessible to a greater number of…
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12 August

Pub and restaurant groups see steady sales growth in July

Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw collective like-for-like sales grow 1.2% in July compared with the same time last year. The latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker show restaurant chains recovering strongly after a “poor” summer in 2018. Restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales up a healthy 3.8%…
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12 August

Buyers found for Jamie Oliver restaurant sites

Property adviser Christie and Co today (12 August) has completed the sale of 20 restaurant sites belonging to Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, on behalf of joint administrators. Accounting firm KPMG were appointed in May after the group entered into administration, its portfolio included 22 Jamie’s Italian sites, one Barbecoa restaurant,…
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