Watford
Covers hospitality and foodservice developments in a thriving Hertfordshire town, from the busy High Street and intu shopping district to surrounding neighbourhoods and leisure hubs. Updates include restaurant and bar openings, hotel investments, seasonal menu trends, and event-led trading opportunities, alongside profiles of local operators, staffing changes, and regulatory updates affecting the area’s dynamic dining and nightlife scene.
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Apr- 2023 -19 AprilPubs and Bars
The Crown Hotel opens The Crown Pub and Grill
The Crown London Hotel is set to launch The Crown Pub and Grill which will open its doors on 30 April 2023. The pub is a terracotta, Grade II listed-Victorian structure, which was first constructed by the architects Shoebridge and Rising in 1899. It acted as a coaching tavern, lying…
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Oct- 2022 -6 OctoberRestaurants
Chipotle to open new Hampstead restaurant
Chipotle has announced it is opening a new restaurant in West Hampstead on 11 October. Earlier this year, Chipotle opened its first location outside the greater London area in Watford. The company currently has 12 locations in the UK. Chipotle had over 3,000 restaurants as of June 30, 2022, in…
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Sep- 2022 -12 SeptemberRestaurants
Barrio Familia Group set to open new site in Watford
Nightcap, the owner of The Cocktail Club, the Adventure Bar Group and the Barrio Familia Group of bars, has announced the new opening for Barrio in Watford later this year. The ground and first floor character building is located at Bosley’s, The Parade, Watford and comprises a total area measuring…
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Jul- 2022 -6 JulyPubs and Bars
Oakman hails ‘record’ sales in FY22
The Oakman Group Plc has revealed its total sales surged 79% to £65.1m for the financial year ending 3 July 2022 (FY22), reportedly outperforming the Coffer CGA tracker of industry sales. Like-for-like sales are up 51.2% from FY21 and up 19.9% from pre-Covid levels in FY20, while total sales have…
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Jun- 2022 -28 JuneRestaurants
Honest Burger partners with UberEats for delivery
Honest Burgers has announced today that it has become an Uber Eats exclusive partner, which will reportedly see 43 stores across the country implement takeaway delivery via the UberEats app. The partnership also means that UberEats customers can now order Honest Burgers’ “premium quality burgers” and the “signature” rosemary salted…
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Dec- 2021 -13 DecemberPubs and Bars
Oakman plans further sites amid sales boost
The Oakman Group has unveiled details of further expansion plans, with plans to open 70 sites by June 2026, having welcomed a period of sales growth in its latest trading update. The pub group delivered sales of just over £26m in the 21 weeks ended 5 December, having reported a…
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Jun- 2021 -28 JuneGovernment
MP proposes bill to ban tip deductions
A Conservative MP has brought forward a Tips Bill to parliament in a bid to ban restaurants and other hospitality businesses from making deductions from workers’ tips. Under the bill, proposed by Dean Russell, businesses would be unable to make deductions from staff tips, with workers either taking the money…
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Nov- 2020 -13 NovemberNews
Middletons Steakhouse & Grill to expand portfolio
Restaurant group Middletons Steakhouse and Grill has announced plans to expand its portfolio with an eighth restaurant in Cambridge. Some £500,000 has been invested into the 170-cover restaurant that is set to open in December. The group operates an annual turnover of roughly £15m, employing 275 staff across its seven…
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Sep- 2018 -20 SeptemberPeople
McDonalds, TGI and Wetherspoons staff to go on ‘historic strike’ for better pay
Hospitality staff from McDonalds, TGI Fridays and Wetherspoons will be coming together to collectively strike for better pay and union recognition. In what has been described as a “historic move” by the organisers, hospitality workers in the McStrike, TGI Fridays Strike and SpoonStrike [JD Wetherspoon] will stage coordinated walkouts to…
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Aug- 2018 -31 AugustBusiness
New World Trading Company secures £5.6m investment
Bar and restaurant group, The New World Trading Company (NWTC), which operates 22 venues across the UK, has secured a £5.6m investment from NatWest, to help fund its roll-out programme. The group which operates 22 venues across the UK has expanded with seven further openings since its last funding round…
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