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.

Apr- 2021 -

6 April

Government

Matt Hancock called to High Court to explain pub closure reasoning

Health secretary Matt Hancock has been called to give evidence at the High Court following a legal case brought forward by Manchester’s night-time economy adviser, Sacha Lord. The summons follow former Pizza Express boss Hugh Osmond and club operator Lord’s decision to launch a legal challenge which suggests the government…
Read More »
1 April

Government

Treasury Committee launches inquiry into job recovery post-Covid

The Treasury Committee has announced it has launched an inquiry into job, growth and productivity recovery after the pandemic. The cross-party group of MPs will examine how the government can reduce and mitigate the economic damage and job losses resulting from the pandemic. Mel Stride MP, chair of the Treasury…
Read More »
Mar- 2021 -

26 March

Features

One year since lockdown: a year in the life of UK pubs

One of the greatest cultural tragedies of the past year in the UK has been the closure of pubs due to the pandemic. According to CGA’s Market Recovery Monitor, nearly 12,000 licensed premises have closed in Britain since December 2019; an average of 30 a day. To mark the anniversary…
Read More »
25 March

Leon closes its US operations

Leon has called time on its US operations after just two years, announcing the closure of four sites in Washington DC and Virginia. Having launched in the US in 2018 with plans to further extend throughout the country, pressures from the “continuing pandemic” have led the group to streamline its…
Read More »
25 March

Trade Associations

Business rates relief cap may ‘jeopardise’ sector recovery, warns UKH

UKHospitality (UKH) has warned that the business rates relief cap could “jeopardise” the hospitality sector’s economic recovery following the pandemic. Analysis from the trade association reveals almost 8,000 business venues, employing an estimated 343,000 people will be paying full rates in July, despite Budget measures to soften the acute rates…
Read More »
23 March

Government

UKH calls for gov to look at ‘data not dates’ when lifting restrictions

UKHospitality (UKH) is urging the government to follow “data not dates” and loosen some of the restrictions slightly earlier than the current roadmap. According to the group, the continued success of the vaccination programme should allow for “hotels with self-contained rooms to be able to open alongside other self-contained accommodation…
Read More »
19 March

Pubs and Bars

Stonegate suffers £746m loss due to Covid-19

Stonegate Pub Company has revealed it made a loss-before-tax of £746m for the full year ended 27 September 2020. The group, which is owned by TDR Capital, saw revenues fall 17.1% from £853m in FY 2019 to £707m. However, through its £1.27bn acquisition of Ei Group in March 2020, Stonegate…
Read More »
18 March

Restaurants

Pizza Express to reopen 118 restaurant this April

PizzaExpress has announced that after a three-month hospitality hiatus, it will be welcoming back customers from 12 April to 118 of its restaurants in England for outdoor dining. Last year, the group formally launched a CVA in a bid to reduce its restaurant estate and rental cost base following the…
Read More »
16 March

Breweries and Distilleries

Number of UK breweries rose by 7.5% in 2020

The number of breweries in the UK increased by 7.5% in 2020, according to research carried out by UHY Hacker Young. There are now 3,000 breweries in the country, despite pub and bar closures resulting from pandemic lockdowns. In 2020, pubs were closed for 161 days, which is around 44%…
Read More »
9 March

People

Hospitality salaries up ‘significantly’ despite pandemic, report finds

Despite the economic impact of Covid-19, average salary levels across the hospitality and leisure sector grew “significantly” in 2020, according to new data released by recruitment group Reed. From analysis of over 6.5 million jobs posted to reed.co.uk over the last three years, the Reed Hospitality and Leisure Salary Guide…
Read More »