Casual Dining

Bancone heads to Borough Yards for ‘biggest opening yet’

05-Jun-2023 By James McAllister

London-based fresh pasta restaurant Bancone will open its third site next month in the Borough Yards development.

Business Profile

Wharf fare: Blacklock’s Gordon Ker on taking chops to Docklands

05-Jun-2023 By Stefan Chomka

The opening of a new restaurant in Canary Wharf has taken the chop-focused group to five sites.

Billy Stock to lead the kitchen at Margate’s Sète

01-Jun-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Natalia Ribbe has appointed former St John and The Marksman chef Billy Stock to lead the kitchen at her Margate venue Sète.

Europe's first Monorail sushi will arrive in London next month

01-Jun-2023 By Joe Lutrario

A sushi restaurant that features a monorail system that delivers orders to diners will launch in Shoreditch next month.

Latest opening: BAO Mary

31-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The London group’s latest outpost is inspired by the dumpling houses of Taiwan and pitched at diners in a hurry.

How I Got Here: Emma Reynolds

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The co-founder of ramen chain Tonkotsu on cost pressures, trusting your gut, and her first restaurant job.

Crispin team to launch Bistro Freddie concept after acquiring Oklava site

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

The team behind London restaurants Crispin and Bar Crispin is to launch a new bistro concept this summer having acquired the former Oklava site in Shoreditch.

Spring 2024 date set for Albert’s Schloss' London debut

31-May-2023 By Restaurant

Mission Mars will open its Albert’s Schloss venue in London next spring on the former Rainforest Café site on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Turtle Bay reaches 50 site milestone

31-May-2023 By James McAllister

Caribbean-inspired restaurant group Turtle Bay will open its 50th UK site in August in Camden, which will also mark the brand’s first outpost in north London.

KIBOU heads to Cambridge

30-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Premium casual Japanese group Kibou will open a site in Cambridge this summer taking its total number of sites to five.

Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s The Africa Centre restaurant Tatale to close

30-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Akwasi Brenya-Mensa will close his Tatale restaurant at Southwark’s The Africa Centre next month.

MW Eat acquires the Criterion Restaurant site in Piccadilly Circus for Masala Zone

30-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Chutney Mary and Amaya operator MW Eat has taken the Criterion Restaurant site in London’s Piccadilly Circus for its more informal Masala Zone brand.

Whitbread considering sale of restaurant brands

30-May-2023 By James McAllister

Whitbread is understood to be exploring the potential sale of part of its £700m pub and restaurant arm in order to focus its efforts on its Premier Inn hotel chain.

Latest opening: Lilienblum

26-May-2023 By Restaurant

Mizon founder Eyal Shani continues his march on the London food scene with his new Shoreditch restaurant.

Jeffrey Robinson to launch ‘sustainably-driven’ Cornish pub Harbour House next month

26-May-2023 By James McAllister

Chef Jeffery Robinson will launch his latest venture next month, a ‘sustainably-driven’ pub overlooking the waterfront in the village of Flushing on the south Cornish coast.

Santoro brothers to launch new fast food concept

25-May-2023 By James McAllister

A pair of vegan-focused restaurateurs are to launch a new fast food restaurant in London’s Soho that will serve both meat and plant-based dishes.

Selina takes restaurant brand HOWM to Margate

25-May-2023 By Restaurant

Hospitality group Selina is bringing its British and European style restaurant brand HOWM to its Margate hotel.

David Thompson pulls out of Chinatown restaurant

24-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

High-profile Australian chef David Thompson and his partner TGP International are understood to have pulled out of the Chinatown site that had been secured for Thai casual dining concept Long Chim.

Pizza Pilgrims to launch new deli concept as it prepares to open 20th pizzeria

24-May-2023 By James McAllister

Pizza Pilgrims will open its 20th restaurant this summer, which will launch alongside a new deli concept selling Italian produce and dry store goods.

Rare Restaurants posts “record financial results”

24-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The company behind Gaucho and M has announced “record financial results” for the year ending 1 January 2023 with turnover up 29% on its pre-pandemic 2019 figures.

TRG to keep remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after overcoming investor revolt

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has said it will keep its remuneration policy ‘under active review’ after more than a third of investors voted against it at the group’s AGM.

Gengelly's to open at New Cross pub the Earl of Derby

23-May-2023 By Restaurant

New Cross-based pub the Earl of Derby is reopening after a refurbishment with the kitchen headed up by the team behind Brockley’s Good as Gold.

BrewDog to roll out across travel hubs under SSP partnership

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

BrewDog has partnered with SSP Group to bring the brand to various travel locations in the UK, beginning with a site at London Gatwick Airport.

Unite petition calls on PizzaExpress to abandon 'labour management scheme'

23-May-2023 By James McAllister

Unite union has launched a petition protesting PizzaExpress’s plans to slash hours for hundreds of its waiting staff and hand their duties over to restaurant managers, garnering support from thousands.

Inception Group secures £6.7m loan to fund growth

22-May-2023 By Restaurant

Inception Group has secured a £6.7m loan from OakNorth Bank to continue to help fund its expansion.

Vinoteca blames energy prices and train strikes as it shutters Birmingham site

19-May-2023 By James McAllister

Wine bar and restaurant group Vinoteca is to close its huge site within Birmingham’s Paradise development after less than a year, blaming rising energy prices and ongoing train strikes.

Latest opening: Ploussard

19-May-2023 By James McAllister

The duo behind London’s cult fried chicken brand Other Side Fried are shifting gears with their latest venture – a neighbourhood-style restaurant in Battersea Rise.

Chaakoo Bombay Café comes to Edinburgh

19-May-2023 By Restaurant

Glasgow restaurant Chaakoo Bombay Café is expanding beyond the city with a site in Edinburgh.

Tension builds ahead of TRG crunch meeting

19-May-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Hedge fund Oasis Management Company has ratcheted up its attacks on The Restaurant Group (TRG), accusing it of withholding information from key shareholders ahead of next week’s annual general meeting.

Oowee vegan to close its Dalston site

18-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Vegan restaurant group Oowee will close its Dalston restaurant later this month.

PizzaExpress cuts hours for waiting staff in job role shakeup

18-May-2023 By Restaurant

PizzaExpress is to slash hours for hundreds of its waiting staff and hand their duties over to restaurant managers, in a move that has been met with resistance from employees.

MEATliquor to expand through Sessions kitchens

17-May-2023 By Georgi Gyton

MEATliquor to expand across delivery-only kitchens for the first time after partnering with Sessions.

Latest opening: Chalk

16-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Former Bonhams and The Pass chef Tom Kemble has returned to the stove with an approachable but carefully-conceived winery restaurant in West Sussex.

Social Pantry appoints James Spragg as non-executive chairman

15-May-2023 By James McAllister

London-based restaurant group and catering company Social Pantry has announced the appointment of former Casual Dining Group CEO James Spragg as its new non-executive chairman.

Luca and Secret Cinema trio partner with AngloThai’s John Chantarasak for three-month pop-up

15-May-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The founders of Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Luca and a trio from events company Secret Cinema will partner with AngloThai chef John Chantarasak for a three-month pop-up at 180 The Strand next month.

Nando’s rolls out energy recycling system

15-May-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Nando’s has announced it is using waste heat generated from its kitchen to heat water and buildings following the success of a year-long trial at its Didsbury branch in Manchester.

TRG faces new investor pressure

15-May-2023 By James McAllister

The Restaurant Group (TRG) has come under renewed pressure from investors after Coltrane Asset Management, which has built a 3% stake in the business, called for change at the company.

Perch to open fourth seaside restaurant

15-May-2023 By Restaurant

Sussex-based restaurant group Perch has taken on the former site of Kenny Tutt’s Bayside Social for its fourth opening.

Meat the Fish to open in Chelsea

12-May-2023 By Restaurant

Lebanese hospitality group Nothing But Love is to open its second London restaurant.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants ‘on course’ with growth strategy as sales rise significantly

12-May-2023 By James McAllister

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants remains ‘committed to and on course’ with its growth strategy both in the UK and internationally amid a significant rise in sales.

Latest opening: The Three Horseshoes

12-May-2023 By Restaurant

Margot Henderson’s first pub with rooms has opened in the small village of Batcombe in Somerset.

“We want our destiny in our own hands”: Marco Mendes on MJMK’s crowdfund

12-May-2023 By Stefan Chomka

The co-founder of the restaurant group behind Casa do Frango and Santiago Lastra’s KOL discusses its expansion plans.

MJMK surpasses £1m crowdfund target

12-May-2023 By Restaurant

Restaurant group MJMK has already passed its crowdfunding target moments after its launch.

Tendril secures pop-up spot on permanent basis

12-May-2023 By James McAllister

Tendril, the 'mostly vegan' concept led by former Chiltern Firehouse chef Rishim Sachdeva, will launch its first permanent restaurant this summer just off Regent Street in central London.

Rosa's Thai secures funding from Barclays as it plots further expansion

11-May-2023 By James McAllister

Rosa’s Thai has secured a new £10m bank facility from Barclays to help fund its ongoing openings pipeline.

TRG receives welcome boost from largest shareholder ahead of AGM

11-May-2023 By James McAllister

Beleaguered casual dining operator The Restaurant Group (TRG) has received the backing of its largest shareholder ahead of its AGM later this month.

Comptoir Group posts strong recovery

10-May-2023 By Shwetali Sapte

Comptoir Group has posted revenue of £31.7m for its 2022 financial year, up 49.7% from £20.7m in 2021.

Lina Stores heads south of the river

10-May-2023 By James McAllister

London-based Italian brand Lina Stores will launch its first outpost south of the river next month in Clapham, nearly two years after the opening was first mooted.

Prezzo warns creditors it would ‘likely enter administration’ without restructuring plan

10-May-2023 By James McAllister

Prezzo has warned creditors that it would ‘likely enter into administration’ should its recently announced restructuring plan, which will see nearly a third of its estate closed, not be implemented.

Rising cost pressures force Cardiff restaurant Bully’s to close after almost 30 years

09-May-2023 By James McAllister

Family-run Cardiff restaurant Bully’s has permanently closed its doors after almost 30 years as a result of rising cost pressures.