Casual Dining

"These measures are positive, but we aren't out of the woods" - Industry reacts to summer statement

08-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Industry voices have reacted optimistically to the Government's stimulus package, but there are warnings more help will be needed to ensure the hospitality sector can recover from the Coronavirus crisis.

Chancellor slashes VAT and introduces voucher scheme to get people back in restaurants

08-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced he will cut VAT from 20% to 5% for parts of the hospitality sector and introduce a month-long 'Eat Out to Help Out' discount scheme for diners.

Dishoom sets Birmingham opening date

08-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Dishoom will finally open the doors to its first Birmingham outpost next week, having initially been scheduled for April.

BBPA calls on Chancellor to provide targeted support for sector as it looks to recover

08-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) says that, with the right support, its sector could help drive the economic recovery in the UK after the Coronavirus lockdown.

The summer statement: four things we might see

08-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to set out his plan to jumpstart the UK economy and alleviate some of the devastation caused by Coronavirus, here's four things he may introduce:

Podcast: Selin Kiazim on ditching the service charge

07-Jul-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Selin Kiazim says the reopening of her restaurants post lockdown has given her a blank canvas on which to draw on, which is why the time is right for her to scrap service charge.

Welsh hospitality sector set for 30,000 job losses as it calls for inside reopening date

07-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

At least 30,000 jobs are expected to be lost in the Welsh hospitality sector as a result of the Coronavirus, with nearly half of these having already happened, according to the results of a new survey.

More than 18,000 pubs reopened on 4 July

07-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Data collated by the CGA's Outlet Index suggests that 18,277 of a possible 40,575 pubs and bars in England reopened on 4 July.

Black Book representation platform launched

07-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Zoe Adjonyoh, Dr Anna Sulan Masing and Frankie Reddin have launched a global representation platform for Black and non-white people working within hospitality and food media.

Comment

Some of the ways that we dealt with customers in the past must change

07-Jul-2020 By Richard Hilson

Communication and flexibility between suppliers and customers is needed if the industry is to move out of this pandemic successfully.

Leroy joins Oklava and Hill & Szrok in scrapping service charges

07-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Wine bar and restaurant Leroy in London's Shoreditch is the latest business to announce it will no longer be adding a service charge to its bills.

Industry leaders call on Government to provide 'urgent' business support for hospitality sector

06-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

More than 100 industry leaders from across the hospitality sector have written to the Government demanding urgent support to stimulate the revival of the sector following the Coronavirus crisis.

Restaurants scrap service charge, saying they'll increase wages through higher prices

06-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Oklava and Hill & Szrok have separately announced they will be no longer add a 12.5% service charge to bills, and will instead be incorporating the cost into menu prices.

Simon Wood to join The Manchester College for virtual hospitality event

06-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

MasterChef winner Simon Wood is joining forces with The Manchester College for a virtual hospitality industry taster event this month.

Toque d’Or student competition goes digital for 2020

06-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Nestlé Professional’s hospitality competition for students will run as a digital event this year following its postponement in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Treasury considers stimulus vouchers

06-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

The treasury is considering a proposal to give all adults £500 and children £250 in vouchers to spend in the sectors of the economy worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Re-opening safely post lockdown

06-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Three operators on their plans to ensure the safety of their customers and teams as they re-open their doors for eat-in customers.

Pret confirms 30 site closures

06-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger has confirmed it is to close 30 of its UK sites as part of its plans to restructure the business.

Mark Hix to open new restaurant on former HIX Oyster & Fish House site

06-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Chef restaurateur Mark Hix has announced he is to open a new restaurant on the site that was formerly HIX Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis.

Pret set for slew of closures (updated)

06-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger boss Pano Christou is expected to announce as many as 45 closures to the sandwich chain's c.450-strong UK estate, putting up to 800 jobs at risk.

'Welcome back - you’ve been sorely missed' - UKH pens letter to returning hospitality customers

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Ahead of the reopening of the hospitality sector in England tomorrow (4 July), UKHospitality has written an open letter to customers, welcoming them back after 15 weeks of lockdown.

Friday Five: The week's top news

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

With restaurants set to reopen this weekend, we round-up some of the main hospitality news stories from the past week.

Westminster Council gives go-ahead for outdoor dining spaces

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Al fresco dining spaces are set to pop up across the City of Westminster from tomorrow (4 July).

Industry takes cautious approach to reopening

03-Jul-2020 By Georgia Cronin

Hospitality operators are taking a cautious approach to reopening as just 59% of businesses plan to reopen some of their sites on 4 July, the new Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth has found.

David Carter on creating a more stripped-back version of Smokestak

03-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Shoreditch barbecue restaurant Smokestak re-opens its doors tomorrow with a simplified offer centred around meat cooked overnight sold by the 100g.

World's 50 Best Restaurants launches 'Bid for Recovery' auction

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The World's 50 Best Restaurants is to launch first in a series of fundraising initiatives to help support the global hospitality industry as it emerges from the Coronavirus pandemic.

Soho's Freak Scene announces permanent closure

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Kurobuta founder Scott Hallsworth's pan-Asian restaurant Freak Scene in London's Soho will not reopen post-Coronavirus lockdown.

Hospitality leaders split over viability of track and trace

03-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Hospitality businesses are split over whether they think it is possible for them to collect customer details as laid out by the Government in its safety guidelines for the sector.

Trade bodies publish track and trace guidance for businesses

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have published guidance to businesses on supporting the Government’s track and trace customer registration scheme.

Industry demands further clarity from Welsh Government over hospitality reopening dates

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The Welsh Government has said pubs, cafes and restaurants can begin to reopen from 13 July, providing Coronavirus cases continue to fall across the country.

Market Halls says it will reopen 'when it can' as it makes entire staff redundant

03-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Market Halls says it has taken the decision to keep all three of its London sites closed while social distancing remains.

Casual Dining Group enters administration

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Casual Dining Group (CDG) has entered administration with 91 sites in its c.250-strong restaurant estate set to be closed permanently.

The Lowdown: Post-lockdown restaurant criticism

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

As restaurants prepare to reopen, there’s a growing conversation around the role of critics and whether they should, for the time being at least, sheath their hatchets and focus on the positives.

Team behind cocktail bar Swift to open new all-day venue in Shoreditch

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The team behind cocktail bar Swift in London’s Soho is opening a second venue in Shoreditch this month.

Bao team launches Call Suzy, a 'nostalgic twist on Chinese takeout'

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The team behind London-based Taiwanese restaurants Bao and XU is launching what it describes as “a playful, nostalgic twist on a traditional Chinese takeout”.

Technology

Ordamo publishes guide to help hospitality businesses reopen

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

A guide to help restaurants harness technology to reassure customers over health and safety concerns in a post-lockdown world has been published by contactless order and pay provider Ordamo.

Iberian style wine bar Bar BoBo to open in Liverpool

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Iberian style wine bar Bar BoBo will open this summer on Liverpool’s Castle Street.

Scotland to ease two-metre rule for some sectors

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland's two-metre physical distancing rule will be eased for some businesses when the country enters the next phase of its routemap on 9 July.

Technology

App launches to help hospitality with NHS track and trace scheme

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

A free-to-use check in app that allows venues to easily capture customers details and help with the NHS track and trace scheme has been launched.

Rockfish group “very optimistic” about its future as reopening schedule begins

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Seafood restaurant and takeaway group Rockfish says it is feeling “very optimistic” about its future as it gears up to reopen one of its venues this Saturday.

The Athenian tees up London Bridge launch

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Greek street food player The Athenian is to open its eighth restaurant location later this month in London Bridge.

We Hear You initiative launched to provides instant guest feedback on Coronavirus safety protocols

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

An initiative to gain consumer feedback on the safe reopening of hospitality venues quickly and effectively has been launched to help build confidence in the sector as restaurants begin to reopen.

Chantelle Nicholson looking to reopen Tredwells as a multi-functional space in a neighbourhood location

02-Jul-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Chantelle Nicholson says she wants to relocate her Covent Garden restaurant Tredwells to a more neighbourhood London location and reopen it as a more multi-functional space.

Aiden Byrne steps away from Salford project to concentrate on family pub

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Aiden Byrne has walked away from a project to open a restaurant and pub in Salford to concentrate on his family-owned pub.

Shake Shack pushes forward with dark kitchen expansion (updated)

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

US burger chain Shake Shack is continuing to push forward with its dark kitchen expansion in the UK, having secured a space within the Deliveroo Editions site in Brighton

One in five suppliers could close without Government support

02-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Up to 460,000 jobs could be at risk if Government does not extend hospitality support to include suppliers, according to a new survey carried out by the UKHospitality Supplier Alliance.

Wagamama to reopen with sliding screens to help create a safe communal vibe

02-Jul-2020 By Georgia Cronin

Wagamama will reopen four of its restaurants in the coming days to trial its new sliding screen safety feature.

Michael Caines buys former Rick Stein Restaurant in Porthleven, Cornwall

02-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Michael Caines has bought the former Rick Stein Restaurant in Porthleven, Cornwall, making it his second restaurant venture in the south west county.

PAX app launched to help operators maintain customer contact tracing

01-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Aussie chef Magnus Reid is launching an app to give operators a 'hassle-free way' of ensuring they maintain customer contact tracing once they reopen

Inception Group sets up £25,000 NHS bar tab

01-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

London-based hospitality company Inception Group, which operates venues including Mr Fogg’s and Cahoots, has set up a £25,000 bar tab for NHS workers as part of its reopening plans.