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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Feb- 2025 -27 FebruaryRestaurants
Korean restaurant brand Bonchon unveils UK expansion plans
International Korean fried chicken brand Bonchon has announced its plans to bring its fast-growing concept to the UK. Following the launch of its second site in Paris, where a third is already in the pipeline, Bonchon is seeking experienced hospitality entrepreneurs to become master franchisees in the UK and roll…
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18 FebruaryFood and Drink
D2 acquires Almost Famous
D2, the team behind Liverpool’s PINS Social Club, has announced that it has acquired burger restaurant Almost Famous. The group has acquired both the Manchester Northern Quarter and Liverpool sites, due to reopen Friday 21 and Monday 24 February respectively, and the Almost Famous branding. The deal has been led…
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Jan- 2025 -28 JanuaryFood and Drink
Almost Famous burger chain confirms closure
Burger chain Almost Famous has announced that it is set to close after financial pressures became “stacked against” it. The company said that the closure was due to lingering debts from the coronavirus pandemic, rising costs and fewer people being able to afford eating out. The brand started in Manchester’s…
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27 JanuaryRestaurants
Tasty expects drop in FY24 sales amid challenging H2
Tasty, the owner and operator of restaurants in the casual dining sector, has announced that it expects to report total sales of £36.6m, down from £46.9m, and adjusted EBITDA of £3.8m in FY24, amid “challenging” trading during the second half of the year. According to the group, although the group’s…
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16 JanuaryFood and Drink
The Salad Project opens eighth site on Bond Street
The Salad Project has announced the opening of its eighth location on Bond Street, as it is looking to hit 20 sites by mid-2027. The new Bond Street location combines chef-curated salads with a premium dining experience, featuring a store design by architect Rain Wu. Co-founder, Florian De Chezelles, said:…
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15 JanuaryBusiness
Hospitality has lost 119 venues per week since March 2020
It has been revealed that 27,951 hospitality venues closed their doors between March 2020 and September 2024 at a rate of 119 per week, according to data from CGA. However, 12,767 have opened during that time, either in vacated premises or in converted or new-build sites. The net result is…
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6 JanuaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief – 06/01/24
Locanda Locatelli will close its Marylebone Italian restaurant after 23 years. The restaurant, owned by husband and wife Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli, was located within the Hyatt Regency London on Seymour Street. The duo opened the restaurant in 2002 and won a Michelin star the following year, which it retained…
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6 JanuaryRestaurants
Tasty agrees to £2.5m settlement with its insurer
Casual dining group Tasty has agreed a full and final settlement with its insurer for the amount of £2.5m relating to a pre-pandemic insurance claim. In a stock exchange announcement, Tasty detailed that it would receive approximately £1.5m, net of creditor costs and legal costs and the settlement sum is…
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Nov- 2024 -29 NovemberNews
Pizza Express launches new grab and go concept in Southampton
Pizza Express has announced the launch of its Pizza Express Pod, located at Tesco Extra in Southampton. Positioned outside Tesco Extra’s main entrance, the Pizza Express pod allows customers to order and collect when on the move, ordering their meal from an open kitchen and collection window. Tesco Clubcard members…
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20 NovemberNews
Pret A Manger debuts at Gloucester Quays
Pret A Manger has opened a new location at Gloucester Quays bringing the healthy food chain to the city for the first time. The new 1,841 sq ft eatery features seating for 85 people, Pret’s “signature” interior design with wooden accents and red tones, and will be managed by franchise…
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