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.

Oct- 2025 -

22 October

Mexi Bean Express signs first UK franchise location

Mexican food brand Mexi Bean Express has started its UK expansion with the signing of its first franchise location. Peterborough-based entrepreneurs Manoj Kumar Maruthan and Mohamed Fayas Athambawa will be opening the new site in Peterborough’s city centre. Maruthan has spent nearly two decades working in cybersecurity and cloud architecture.…
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22 October

Restaurant and hotel prices rise as inflation holds steady at 3.8%

The cost of eating at restaurants and hotel stays rose slightly in the last month as UK inflation remained unchanged at 3.8% in September, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices within the restaurants and hotels category increased by 3.9% in the year to…
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21 October

Hector Hernandez appointed GM at The Original Ivy

Hospitality professional Hector Hernandez has been appointed general manager at The Original Ivy in Covent Garden. Hernandez, who joined the restaurant in July 2025, brings more than 20 years’ experience across some of London’s best-known dining institutions. He began his fine dining career as a waiter at Alain Ducasse at…
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20 October

Pizza Hut to shutter 68 UK restaurants

Pizza Hut UK is reportedly set to close 68 restaurants and 11 delivery sites after falling into administration, resulting in the loss of 1,210 jobs. According to the BBC, DC London Pie Limited, operating as Pizza Hut’s UK restaurants, appointed FTI Consulting as administrators. However, Pizza Hut’s global owner Yum!…
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20 October

Yavuz Pehlivanlar named CEO of newly formed Hakkasan Group

Mohari Hospitality has appointed Yavuz Pehlivanlar as chief executive of the newly established Hakkasan Group, which brings together the Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Ling Ling and Sake No Hana restaurant brands. Pehlivanlar will lead the group’s international growth and oversee brand development across its portfolio of 22 restaurants in cities including London,…
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20 October

Various Eateries posts record FY profit and sales growth

Various Eateries has reported record profitability and a return to like-for-like growth for the 52-week period ended 28 September, with full-year revenues expected to reach £52.4m, up by 6% year-on-year. The group, which operates Coppa Club and Noci restaurant brands, said performance was ahead of market expectations of £50.7m and…
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17 October

Hard Rock Cafe UK losses widen to £7.5m

Hard Rock Cafe UK Limited has reported a loss after tax of £7.5m for the year to 31 December 2024, which widened from a £0.9m loss a year prior. According to the group’s filing at Companies House, sales fell to £29.2m from £32.5m the previous year, driven by lower restaurant…
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16 October

Whitbread restaurant sales fall 11% as group profit holds steady

Whitbread has reported an 11% fall in food and beverage sales for the first half of its 2026 financial year as it continues to replace lower-returning branded restaurants with integrated dining facilities alongside Premier Inn hotels. The company said the performance was in line with expectations and partly offset by…
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15 October

Evolv Collection expands dining brand with new London site

Sartoria, the Italian restaurant brand owned by the Evolv Collection, is to open a new site in South Kensington on 4 November. Named Sartoria Launceston Place, the venue will bring the Savile Row restaurant’s “cucina elegante” concept to west London, combining Milanese style with influences from Launceston Place, a former…
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15 October

Honest Burgers returns to profit amid strong sales and cost control

Honest Burgers has reported a return to profitability for the year to 26 January 2025, supported by strong like-for-like sales growth and tighter cost management. The restaurant group posted an operating profit of £3m for the 52-week period, compared with a £1m operating loss in the previous year. Turnover rose…
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