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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Sep- 2020 -25 SeptemberBusiness
Star Pubs and Bars re-opens Dundee pub after four year closure
A local Dundee pub has re-opened its doors following a four-year closure and a £630,000 investment from Star Pubs and Bars. Previously called the Mercantile pub, the bar has been renamed The Barrelman and has undergone a £630,000 refurbishment by Heineken-owned company and its new licensees Tommy and Jacqueline Fox. …
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23 SeptemberBusiness
Wahaca to see £25m debt written off in CVA proposal
Mexican themed restaurant Wahaca will have a total of £25m in debt written off in a bid to salvage the brand as part of a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA). According to Sky news, Wahaca proposed a CVA that will also see its lenders and shareholders pump £5m of new money…
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23 SeptemberCoronavirus
Almost 40% of hospitality business owners considering closure
Some 37% of business owners in the hospitality sector are considering closure or business exit, according to “worrying” survey results released by accountancy firm Armstrong Watson. It comes as over 350 bar, restaurant, café, hotel and accommodation owners and providers shared their views on the current issues facing the sector,…
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21 SeptemberCoronavirus
Chef Sabbir Karim reopens two London restaurants
Chef Sabbir Karim has reopened two of his London venues after a period of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurants, Namaaste Kitchen in Camden and Salaam Namaste in Fitzrovia, both offer a wide array of modern Indian cuisine. Karim said: “It’s been a tough time for the hospitality…
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15 SeptemberTrade Associations
Government must act to stop landlord bloodbath, says UKHospitality
UKHospitality (UKH) has written to the government warning that failure to immediately act to solve the rent crisis will result in a ‘‘bloodbath’’ of job losses and business failures. Hospitality businesses have been shielded from eviction over the last six months through the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria, which…
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14 SeptemberComment
The green initiative overlooked by the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry has a significant role to play if the UK is to achieve its ambitious recycling targets, and to this end there are many carbon reduction measures catering businesses have adopted in recent years. With the media spotlight on the problem of waste packaging, and food waste becoming of…
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9 SeptemberRestaurants
Pizza Hut to close 29 sites, 450 jobs cut
Pizza Hut has confirmed it is to close 29 sites as part of a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) that will see around 450 jobs lost. Pizza Hut Restaurants revealed it is currently negotiating a CVA in order to “mitigate the financial impact of Covid-19”. It said PHR is “one of…
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7 SeptemberRestaurants
Pizza Express creditors approve CVA
Pizza Express has announced today (7 September 2020) that its creditors have approved its proposed company voluntary agreement (CVA). In a virtual meeting last week, 89% of all responding creditors voted in favour of the CVA, passing the 75% threshold, while 67% of responding unconnected creditors approved the proposal. The…
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7 SeptemberComment
The coronavirus diaries: Aaron Wilson, The Bow Bells
At The Bow Bells, we felt the effects of Coronavirus before the lockdown began. Around two-to-three weeks before we had to close, we saw a massive reduction in trade – around a 70/80% drop. We knew immediately that this was going to be serious, so we began bringing in our…
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2 SeptemberCoronavirus
EOTHO scheme boosts restaurant spending by 34%
The UK Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ (EOTHO) scheme saw diners spend 34.2% more at restaurants and fast food outlets on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August than they did in July. This is according to new data from Barclaycard, which showcased the “success” of the Government scheme. In…
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