- TGI Fridays UK has been sold in a pre-pack rescue deal, with Sugarloaf TGIF Operations acquiring the business and assets of Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, which operated the brand in the UK. The transaction saves 33 restaurants and will see 1,384 employees transfer to the new business. However, 16 sites have closed with immediate effect, resulting in around 450 redundancies. Phil Broad, global president of TGI Fridays, says the deal is intended to secure the brand’s ‘long-term future’ in the UK and provide a platform for ‘success and growth’.
- The chef behind two-Michelin-star Birmingham restaurant Opheem, Aktar Islam, will make his London debut this spring with his new restaurant Oudh 1722. Set to be in an as-yet-undisclosed location near Borough Market, the venue will focus on Islam’s interpretation of Awadhi cooking – a historic style originating in Lucknow, which has long been regarded as one of India’s greatest culinary centres. Details are currently limited, but the menu will explore the region’s defining dishes, from silken kebabs and layered biryanis to curries, prepared using time-intensive methods such as dum pukht, a traditional technique that slow cooks ingredients over a low flame to build depth and flavour.
- Chef Adam Handling is offering 50% off the entire bill for hospitality professionals at his Michelin-starred restaurant Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden. The offer will be available every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunch throughout January and February as a gesture of appreciation to hospitality workers following the intense festive period. In a message directed to industry professionals, Handling acknowledged the hard work of the December service and encouraged industry professionals to ‘slow down, look back and reflect’.
- The Taiwanese noodle bar brand Kung Fu Mama has secured a second London location in Canary Wharf following the success of the brand’s debut restaurant, which opened in Covent Garden last year. Co-founders Noam Bar-Chang and Chris Hsu are set to open their new site this quarter in Jubilee Place, offering dishes including noodle bowls, bao sandwiches and a selection of sides, as well as classic Taiwanese night market desserts such as mango shaved ice cream and pineapple pie.
- Following the closure of its Brixton site last year, the Japanese handroll bar Temaki will open a site on Mayfair’s Maddox Street, blending classic Japanese dishes with a relaxed Californian approach. Set to open next month, Temaki, which takes its name from te (hand) and maki (roll), has expanded its menu beyond handrolls and will offer a broader selection of Japanese small plates designed for sharing. The restaurant will span two levels with an intimate dining area upstairs - seating just 16 guests – and space downstairs for a further 28 covers and taking inspiration from Japan’s listening bars.