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.

Jun- 2019 -

14 June

Business

Jamie Oliver’s Gatwick outlets saved from closure

The joint administrators of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group Limited, Will Wright and Mark Orton from KPMG, announced that they have reached an agreement with SSP Group to take over the operations of the three Jamie Oliver eateries which continue to trade at Gatwick Airport. SSP Group, an operator of food…
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5 June

Advice

Living the dream?

I always dreamed of running a pub, greeting the regulars with a smile, a quip and their favourite tipple. After more than 30 years of handling debt recovery work for the licensed trade, I can see that the reality is very different. It is not an easy life. For many,…
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May- 2019 -

9 May

Restaurants

Art deco building transformed into new restaurant

An art deco building in Somerset, previously used for entertainment and leisure, has been transformed into a new restaurant named Pillars Bar and Grill. Entrepreneur Kevin Newton and his restoration team have used the style of the “Great Gatsby era” for the new restaurant on Leigh Road. The building opened…
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8 May

Restaurants

Man alleged to run restaurant from house refuses to remove sign

The owner of a house in Norwich who was told by Norwich City Council to remove a restaurant sign in February has still not done so as he has applied for permission to keep it. Norwich council inspected the premises owned by Orlando Williams in February after it was alleged…
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Mar- 2019 -

21 March

Restaurants

French restaurant Abondance closes after 12 years

London-based French restaurant, Abondance has closed after 12 years in operation in the Primrose Hill area. The restaurant formerly known as Androuet before a 2018 rebrand has blamed “basic cost increases, lower sterling value, and staff recruitment difficulties” on its closure. Restaurant owners Alex and Leo Guarneri had announced that…
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11 March

Restaurants

First Meatliquor restaurant relocates

Meatliquor’s first restaurant which was set for closure has been relocated within London’s Marylebone area. In November last year the chain said it was closing its first site to make way for a luxury hotel, however it will now be reopened just 500 metres away. Meatliquor’s managing director, Scott Collins…
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11 March

Business

Pubs see Feb sales boost as restaurants continue to struggle

Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw collective like-for-like sales increase just 0.3% in February against the same month last year, according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker. While managed pub groups enjoyed a 1.4% increase in collective like-for-like sales, restaurant groups saw a collective decline recording…
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8 March

Restaurants

D&D London closes Kensington Place after 32 years

Restaurant group D&D London has announced that on 21 March 2019, it will be closing the doors of Kensington Place Restaurant and Fish Shop. The restaurant which was opened 32 years ago is being closed to make way for the Newcombe House property development by Brockton Capital and U+I, which…
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4 March

Restaurants

Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner to close 27 sites

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is to close a third of its Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner sites, affecting hundreds of jobs, as the group seeks a rescue deal. BRG has appointed KPMG to oversee its CVA deal which if approved will see the group reduce its portfolio and seek rent…
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Feb- 2019 -

27 February

Restaurants

Aberdeen’s Fresh Mex restaurant engulfed in flames

Fire crews have attended Aberdeen’s Fresh Mex restaurant after it became engulfed in flames. The fire was reported in the city’s Schoolhill area at around 10am on Monday (25 February), with six appliances called out to attend the blaze. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed there were no…
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