Market Halls reports rise in sales during ‘landmark year’
Market Halls has reported a rise in turnover and adjusted EBITDA in what it describes as a ‘landmark year’ for the business.
QSR & Street Food
Dave’s Hot Chicken eyes European expansion after making Ireland debut
Dave’s Hot Chicken is continuing its expansion with the opening of two sites within a week.
Comment
Hospitality is hurting. Food halls are thriving. Here’s why
The food hall model is proving resilient in an otherwise challenging sector thanks to a number of factors.
IRO Sushi opens two new sites as UK expansion plans accelerate
IRO Sushi has opened new locations in Maidenhead and Bristol as the fast-growing sushi chain accelerates plans to reach 100 locations by 2030.
Scale of the UK’s fish and chips sector revealed in new report
The scale of the UK’s love of fish and chips has been mapped in a landmark new report.
Bonnie & Wild achieves B Corp certification
Edinburgh’s Bonnie & Wild has become a certified B Corp in what it claims is a world first for a food hall.
Swedish-based salad bowl brand Holy Greens to make UK debut
Swedish-based salad bowl brand Holy Greens is set to make its UK debut, marking the first step in its plans to expand beyond Scandinavia.
Gerry’s is set to open its second location in London Bridge
Hot sub brand Gerry’s will open a second site in London Bridge later this summer.
Donny’s Deli closes after less than a year but promises a return
A kebab shop that closed and then reopened as a sandwich shop and deli under the same ownership has closed again, with its owner saying they ‘couldn’t make the numbers work’.
Chaiiwala looks to boost evening trade with meal boxes and a family sharing platter
Chaiiwala has expanded its menu with the launch of its first customisable Wala Box and a new Family Platter, as it looks to drive growth in evening dining.
Blend Family to open Elephant Exchange food hall
Food hall operator Blend Family is expanding its UK footprint with a site in London’s Elephant & Castle.
Pizza Express to launch Houston Hot Chicken in the UK
Pizza Express is bringing US-born brand Houston Hot Chicken (HHC) to the UK with three restaurants scheduled to open in 2026.
Landsec partners with German Kraft Brewery to relaunch Model Market in Lewisham
Landsec has announced a partnership with German Kraft Brewery ahead of the upcoming relaunch of Model Market at Lewisham Shopping Centre this summer.
TRGC launches grab-and-go Wagamama at Heathrow Airport
UK travel hub hospitality operator TRGC has debuted a new grab-and-go concept, Wagamama ‘on the move’, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
KFC bets on boneless
KFC UK & Ireland is responding to competition from newer players including Popeyes and Slim Chickens with a phased rollout of its recently launched Tenders & Dips range.
Gail’s appoints its first international MD as it sets its sights overseas
Gail’s has signalled its intention to grow its brand overseas with the appointment of its first international managing director.
Trends
London is enjoying a ‘taco renaissance’ as online searches for the dish surge
London is in the midst of a taco renaissance, with DesignMyNight reporting a 261% year-on-year growth in searches for the cuisine.
Popeyes partners with Applegreen to accelerate Republic of Ireland expansion
Popeyes UK and Ireland has announced a strategic partnership with retail business Applegreen that will see €6 million invested in opening Popeyes restaurants across the Republic of Ireland.
Bustler to open a new food hall in Derby later this year
Independent hospitality and event operator Bustler is set to open a new food hall in Derby.
Shake Shack to make Reading debut this summer
Shake Shack is set to open its first Reading Shack this July, marking its 20th location in the UK.
Prezzo Italian rolls out its Pronto Pasta QSR brand
Brava Hospitality is rolling out its delivery-only virtual brand across its Prezzo Italian estate following a successful trial phase.
HEYTEA to open second Chinatown site
China-born modern tea concept HEYTEA is set to open a second site in London’s Chinatown this summer, taking its total number of locations in the capital to six.
Leon appoints former Pret executive Julio Santoyo as managing director
Leon has appointed former Pret A Manger executive Julio Santoyo as managing director of restaurants as the healthy fast-food chain continues its operational rebuild.
The Salad Project opens first travel hub site
The Salad Project has opened its first travel hub location at London Bridge station.
Leon gets green light from creditors to emerge from administration
Leon will emerge from administration after receiving unanimous support from creditors who voted as part of the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
Junk Group continues its push across the capital with four new sites
Junk Group, the French hospitality brand behind smash burger concept Junk and cookie brand Puffy, plans four new openings over the summer as it continues its expansion in the capital.
Market Halls’ Games Hall concept to take flight
Market Halls is expanding the competitive socialising Games Hall concept it launched at the end of last year.
UK eating out market growth revised down
The UK eating out market will reach a value of £102.8bn in 2026, according to new forecasts.
Fast casual sushi concept Saltwater to open in Soho
A new high quality QSR sushi concept inspired by takeaway sushi bars in Sydney and Los Angeles is set to open this summer on Soho’s Berwick Street.
Chuku’s marks 10 years with first quick-service concept at Boxhall City
Ten years after launching as a pop-up, Nigerian tapas restaurant Chuku’s has opened its first quick-service concept at Boxhall City.
Bunsik to open final company-owned site as its looks towards franchising
Bunsik will open what it says will be its final company-owned site, with future expansion expected to focus primarily on franchise-led growth.
Go Greek Yogurt to make UK debut with Mayfair site
Los Angeles-born Go Greek Yogurt is set to make its UK debut in London this July, with a new opening on Mayfair’s South Molton Street.
US healthy food brand Rōti Modern Mediterranean makes UK debut
US fast-casual brand Rōti Modern Mediterranean now has a presence in the UK with the establishment of three London kitchens.
Lockdown Bakehouse to open sixth location
A bakery launched during the lockdown of 2020 will open its sixth site as it continues to expand across the capital.
More food and drink venues revealed for new Olympia development
A collection of bars and a food hall will open next month as part of the new Olympia development in London.
Leon confirms the closure of 23 sites as John Vincent injects £2.5m
Healthy fast food chain Leon has confirmed that its recent Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) has seen the closure of 23 of its sites.
Carl Clarke steps away from Chicken Shop
Carl Clarke, founder of Chicken Shop (formerly Chik’n), has stepped away from the business following the announcement that Kitchen Ventures has acquired a majority stake in the brand.
Pret a Manger opens first drive thru in Warrington
Pret A Manger has opened its first drive-thru shop in Warrington, marking a new trial format for the brand as Pret continues to expand its presence in transport and travel locations across the UK.
Fast-food and casual dining traffic falls at fastest rate for two years
The fast-food and casual dining restaurant sectors have seen their steepest decline in consumer traffic for two years in the first quarter of 2026.
Chaiiwala opens first 24-hour drive thru
Indian street food cafe brand Chaiiwala has chosen Blackburn to open its first 24-hour drive thru, marking a significant step in the brand’s expansion.
Crowd pleasers: how food halls became hospitality’s not-so-secret weapon
The UK food hall sector is booming, with 65 sites currently in development and average revenues on the increase. What’s behind the growth, and is it sustainable?
Plump and grind: Joe & the Juice launches collagen-infused matcha drink
Joe & the Juice is tapping into the booming matcha market as well as the growth in healthy ingredient collagen with its latest innovation.
Arcade reveals more details for its upcoming Covent Garden food hall
London food hall operator Arcade has revealed full details for its upcoming site in Covent Garden, which is set to launch mid next month.
Domino’s launches range of thinner, more premium pizzas
Domino’s has launched a range of Italy-inspired, thinner-style premium pizzas.
Which Wich signs London franchise deal in bid to accelerate UK expansion
Which Wich has signed a new multi-unit franchise agreement in London as the Texas-founded sandwich brand looks to step up its expansion across the UK.
Burger King UK reports strong revenue growth ahead of expansion phase
Burger King UK reported a 10% rise in revenue to £448.7m in the year to 31 December 2025, alongside securing additional funding as it prepares to accelerate expansion.
Coffee culture: what UK operators can learn from overseas markets
Experts at two leading café brands discuss the coffee sector, future opportunities and what the UK can learn from overseas markets.
Papa Johns reacts to changing pizza landscape with new sourdough range
Papa Johns is to launch a range of sourdough pizzas following what it says has been two years of development.
Chipotle looks to grow UK estate by 20%
Chipotle has unveiled plans to grow its UK estate by 20% this year as the US burrito giant looks to expand across Europe.
Dough Hands enters by-the-slice territory with new East London residency
London-based pizza brand Dough Hands has opened a new residency in East London’s Hackney Wick.