Closure
In this section, we report on restaurant, pub, bar, café, and catering business closures across the UK, and the commercial, operational, and market factors behind them. From high-street exits and group-wide restructures to insolvencies, lease surrenders, and strategic site rationalisations, we cover the real-world impacts of rising costs, labour shortages, shifting demand, and margin pressures. We go beyond headlines to explain why closures are happening and what they mean for the wider sector. Whether you’re benchmarking performance or navigating tough decisions, we provide the context hospitality professionals need to stay informed.
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Jul- 2025 -14 JulyRestaurants
Darwin and Wallace FY losses widen to £11.3m under new ownership
Bar-restaurant operator Darwin and Wallace has seen its pre-tax losses widen, from £1.9m to £11.3m in the 70-week period to 30 September 2024, after restructuring its estate and operations under new ownership. According to its latest filing at Companies House, the results were affected by an impairment charge of £7.3m,…
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11 JulyPubs and Bars
Britain faces a pub closure every day in 2025, industry warns
One pub is expected to close every day in 2025 across Great Britain, threatening more than 5,600 jobs, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned. The trade body, which represents more than 20,000 pubs, estimated 378 closures this year in England, Wales and Scotland, up from 350 in…
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Jun- 2025 -19 JuneCatering Companies
Chartwells secures catering contracts with five Halliard Trust schools
Education catering provider Chartwells has secured contracts with five schools in the Halliard Trust, expanding its footprint in Cheshire. The five schools include Broken Cross Primary Academy and Nursery, Adlington Primary School, Gawsworth Primary School, Nether Alderley Primary School and Whirley Primary School. The new agreements follow the closure of…
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May- 2025 -13 MayRestaurants
Rare Restaurants to shutter last remaining M Restaurant
Rare Restaurants is reportedly set to permanently shut its last remaining M Restaurant site next week after 10 years of operation, City AM has reported.The move comes after founder Martin Williams stepped down from parent company Rare Restaurants last October. Williams, who left the company to focus on his next…
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Mar- 2025 -28 MarchFood and Drink
Chopstix closes Oxford Street venue
Chopstix has closed its Oxford Street site as the business seeks a new location for the QSR brand on the street. The Central London location, which first opened in 2002, was the debut Chopstix site launched by co-founders Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik. The Oxford Street site closure comes as…
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10 MarchRestaurants
Cherry Equity Partners rescues Bistrot Pierre out of administration
French restaurant group Bistrot Pierre has been acquired by a vehicle owned by Cherry Equity Partners in a pre-pack administration process, ensuring that 10 sites will continue to trade and safeguarding exactly 394 jobs. However, the transaction did not include eight other restaurants which will close immediately, resulting in 158…
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4 MarchNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief – 04/03/25
Greggs has surpassed the £2bn mark as its sales increased 11.3% to £2.014bn in the year to 28 December 2024. The group’s underlying pre-tax profit also increased 13.2% to £189.8m, while its total pre-tax profit was up 8.3% to £203.9m. During the period, the group stated that its evening trade…
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4 MarchRestaurants
Giorgio Locatelli to open new restaurant at The National Gallery in May
The National Gallery has announced that Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli will open a new restaurant in partnership with Searcys when the Sainsbury Wing reopens on 10 May. The team will be opening an all-day restaurant ‘Locatelli’ along with ‘Bar Giorgio’ on the ground floor, an espresso bar offering a selection…
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Feb- 2025 -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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5 FebruaryFood and Drink
Nightcap acquires Brighton’s i360 Tower and hospitality venue
Nightcap has announced the acquisition of Brighton’s i360 Tower, following a decision by Brighton and Hove City Council to release the debt in support of the landmark’s future under the hospitality operator’s management. This means that the acquisition has been completed free of debt and any historic liabilities, allowing a…
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