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.
-
May- 2020 -14 MayComment
Looking ahead: How to ensure customers feel safe and confident post-lockdown
Right now, the hospitality industry is navigating completely unknown territory. Not only are most operators dealing with the temporary closure of their venues, but this crisis is likely to completely transform the way hospitality businesses will operate after lockdown restrictions are lifted. When thinking about life post-lockdown, it’s not just…
Read More » -
7 MayPubs and Bars
April could have been ‘best for pub trade in a decade’, says BBPA
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed that April 2020 could have been the “best for the beer and pub trade in a decade”, if it weren’t for the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. The trade association, which tracks sales of beer in pubs and shops, forecasts that 35…
Read More » -
5 MayCoronavirus
Costa reopens 29 stores for delivery and drive thru’s amid Covid-19 pandemic
Costa Coffee has reopened 12 stores for delivery alongside 17 drive-thru lanes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The news came as Costa made the decision to open two drive-thru lanes and two stores for delivery only in line with the latest government advice. Costa said whilst the drive-thrus are open to…
Read More » -
4 MayCoronavirus
Beer sales collapsed 40% in March amid Covid-19 crisis, says BBPA
Pub beer sales collapsed by 40% in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, according to new figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) reveal. The BBPA said the “stark decrease” shows the immediate and devastating impact that lockdown is having on the British pub. Last…
Read More » -
1 MayComment
The coronavirus diaries: Piers Baker
Monday 16 March, 2020 Lunch is a normal affair, 50 lovely guests in, looked after by our brilliant team. Extra vigilance being exercised to ensure the government’s advice is being followed. A smattering of the afternoon drinkers in, numbers had been down for a week or so, understandably. At around…
Read More » -
Apr- 2020 -30 AprilCoronavirus
JD Wetherspoon targets June reopening
JD Wetherspoon has stated its intention to reopen the group’s pubs and hotels “in or around” June despite the ongoing nationwide lockdown. It comes one day after McDonald’s said it will begin operational trials for a “potential and limited reopening”, though JD Wetherspoon has not yet outlined how it plans…
Read More » -
29 AprilRegulations & Policies
New insurance group established for hospitality sector
An action group has been established to hold insurance companies accountable for payouts arising from the nationwide lockdown and coronavirus-related losses. The new Hospitality Insurance Group Action (HIGA) will now represent hospitality businesses across the pub, restaurant, hotel and bar sector that have been forced to shut. The group will…
Read More » -
29 AprilCoronavirus
McDonald’s trials reopening of sites
McDonald’s has announced it is “working through a potential and limited reopening” following a nationwide closure during the pandemic. The group had initially closed all sites on 23 March as the coronavirus crisis continued to escalate, but is now trialling how sites may reopen with social distancing measures in place. …
Read More » -
29 AprilComment
The coronavirus crisis: The importance of adapting and reacting
Weathering the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic is a challenge for businesses of all sizes and the situation is continuing to change by the day. The food, hospitality and leisure sectors have been hit hard by the need to close restaurants and there is widespread concern over how these businesses…
Read More » -
24 AprilPubs and Bars
Prolonged social distancing will bring huge difficulties for the pub sector, says BBPA
British Beer and Pub Association has said prolonged social distancing will bring “huge difficulties” for the pub sector, responding to CMO Chris Whitty’s comments that social distancing will be needed until at least the end of 2020. Whitty said there is an “incredibly small” chance of a vaccine for coronavirus…
Read More »
