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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Mar- 2021 -1 MarchRestaurants
Wimpy profits surge to almost £1m
Wimpy Restaurants Group, owner of the Wimpy burger chain, has reported a rise in profits to almost £1m for the year ended 29 February 2020. Climbing from £716,319 to £990,663, the firm’s profits for the year represented a year-on-year increase of 38%. While the group’s revenue for the period did…
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Feb- 2021 -26 FebruaryCoronavirus
Over 200 hospitality leaders plead for emergency support
More than 200 industry leaders and trade bodies representing the UK’s hospitality and pub sectors have warned the Government that, unless a “substantial package of support” is announced at the Budget, nearly two thirds of businesses may not be able to make it to the end of lockdown. UKHospitality, the…
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25 FebruaryCoronavirus
Hospitality leaders ‘optimistic’ of long-term future, CGA finds
Hospitality leaders are reportedly optimistic about the long-term future of the sector, though “urgent” support is still required to help them navigate reopening, according to the CGA Business Leaders’ Survey 2021. The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with UKHospitality, British Beer and Pub Association and the British Institute of…
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22 FebruaryPubs and Bars
M&B’s £350m open offer ‘critical’ for survival
Mitchells and Butlers has announced the launch of an open offer, following an announcement last week that the group intends to raise £350m from shareholders. The board, which includes representatives of the Odyzean Group, a major shareholder of Mitchells and Butlers, said it believes that the open offer is “critical…
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12 FebruaryPubs and Bars
Mitchells and Butlers pub branch announces permanent closure
A Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) pub, in Didsbury Manchester has announced that it will be permanently closing, as ongoing restrictions continue to take a toll on the hospitality sector. In a social media post owners of The Stoker’s Arms stated that due to “circumstances outside of their control” the pub…
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3 FebruaryPubs and Bars
Pubs vital in battle against isolation
Pubs are key in tackling loneliness and provide a social value far beyond their economic contributions to society, according to research conducted by Loughborough University. The Open Arms report, which was conducted in tandem with Heineken UK and the Campaign to End Loneliness, found that institutions such as pubs are…
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Jan- 2021 -27 JanuaryPubs and Bars
CAMRA: Forced hospitality closure until may will be ‘devastating’
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has responded to the comments by Sage scientists that hospitality businesses should remain closed until May by suggesting that this would be a “devastating double whammy” for pubs and breweries. The organisation said it was “absolutely critical” for the government to intervene with further support…
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26 JanuaryAwards & Events
Two London restaurants awarded three Michelin stars
Two London restaurants have achieved the highest accolade at the 2021 Michelin guide for Great Britain and Ireland that was launched via an online event yesterday (25 January). Headed by two female chefs, Clare Smyth and Hélène Darroze, the restaurants both received the maximum three stars, taking the total number…
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15 JanuaryFeatures
Q&A with Larkin Cen
Where did your passion for food come from? I grew up like many British-born Chinese kids, in a Chinese takeaway which is where I developed my love for Chinese food. We came from very modest beginnings yet we used to eat like kings, because there was a great passion with…
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14 JanuaryCoronavirus
Closing Click & Collect could wipe £300m a month from UK takeaways
With a possible closure of Click & Collect takeaways being discussed at present as part of intensified Coronavirus protection measures, the NPD Group has warned this could wipe off over £300m a month to UK businesses offering the service. The market research company’s latest figures indicate that in the month…
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