Casual Dining
We report on the business of casual dining, a key segment of the UK foodservice sector encompassing high-street restaurant brands, all-day dining concepts, and accessible, mid-market hospitality. This includes our coverage of openings, closures, financial results, menu innovation, tech integration, and leadership moves across the casual dining space. Whether you’re managing a national chain or operating a regional brand, we deliver timely insight into the pressures, pivots, and opportunities shaping this highly competitive market, with a focus on operational performance, consumer trends, and commercial sustainability.
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Sep- 2021 -16 SeptemberPubs and Bars
The Alchemist to open first Scottish site amid £1.5m investment
The Alchemist, is set to open its first-ever Scottish bar and restaurant next month in Edinburgh’s new St. James Quarter. Representing an investment of £1.5m, the site is set to offer “a mystical apothecary of theatre served” cocktails alongside all-day casual dining. Located within the largest development Edinburgh has seen…
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Aug- 2021 -25 AugustRestaurants
Franco Manca owner planning UK and overseas expansion
The restaurant group behind the Franco Manca and Real Greek brands is reportedly planning up to 150 new restaurant openings over the next few years across the UK and overseas. According to The BBC, founder David Page has reportedly highlighted expansion plans for “towns and cities from Cardiff to Canterbury…
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Jun- 2021 -29 JuneRestaurants
Tasty sees takeaway and delivery sales ‘perform well’
Tasty, the operator of restaurants in the casual dining sector, has revealed that for the six-week period to 27 June 2021, takeaway and delivery sales “performed well” during the most recent lockdown. Following the easing of lockdown restrictions on 17 May 2021, most of the company’s estate reopened, with 49…
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21 JuneVenues & Properties
‘Freedom Day’ delay puts thousands more venues at risk, CGA warns
The delaying of “Freedom Day” has put thousands more clubs, restaurants, pubs and bars at risk, according to the latest edition of the Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners. Although 76.2% of Britain’s licensed sites were trading by the end of last month, around 25,000 licensed premises remain closed.…
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1 JunePubs and Bars
Quarter of licensed premises yet to reopen, report finds
One in four (23.7%) restaurants, pubs, bars and other licensed premises across Britain are yet to reopen despite the return of inside service, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor research from CGA and AlixPartners reveals. Just under 25,000 venues still remain shut, and trading numbers are currently 76.6% in…
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Apr- 2021 -23 AprilPeople
Popeyes UK names Tom Crowley as chief executive officer
Popeyes UK has appointed Tom Crowley as its new chief executive officer. Crowley brings over 20 years’ experience leading UK pub, casual dining and QSR brands – most recently, as managing director of Giraffe Concepts and then subsequently as CEO of Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG). In his new role, Crowley…
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8 AprilRestaurants
Tasty swings to £12.7m FY20 loss
Tasty, the casual dining owner and operator, has swung to a loss after tax of £12.7m for the year ended 27 December 2020, following profits of £300,000 the previous year. The group’s revenue for the year was “significantly impacted by Covid-19 related restrictions”, declining 45.7% year-on-year to £24.2m. Currently, its…
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8 AprilRestaurants
Alexis Gauthier to launch new vegan restaurant
Alexis Gauthier has announced the launch of a vegan casual dining restaurant titled 123V at department store Fenwick which will open 12 April 2021. The restaurant will be situated on the lower ground floor and outside terrace, on Brook Street and Bond Street, and will be the first standalone restaurant…
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Mar- 2021 -31 MarchFood and Drink
Two in five licensed premises able to accommodate outdoor trading
Around two in five licensed premises will have some form of outdoor trading space when restrictions ease for venues on 12 April, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA. The monitor revealed that around 41,100 premises (38.2% of all sites) in the UK have a garden, terrace, car…
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30 MarchFeatures
How does Jollibee hope to win over the UK fast-food market?
With over 1,000 McDonald’s and 900 KFC sites across Britain, any newcomer to the nation’s fast-food sector has a difficult task convincing hungry consumers, who are craving a quick and reliable fix to enter its premises. For Jollibee – a Filipino-originated fried chicken chain, headed by billionaire businessman Tony Tan…
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