R200

Hawksmoor to double its rate of expansion as it gears up for sale

12-Sep-2024 By Joe Lutrario

Steakhouse group Hawksmoor is looking to speed up the pace of its expansion as it eyes a sale.

Market Place heads to St Paul’s as it looks to double estate

10-Sep-2024 By James McAllister

Market Place is to open a new site close to St Paul’s early next year under plans to double the size of its estate.

Shortlist revealed for R200 Awards 2024

09-Sep-2024 By Restaurant

Restaurant groups including Burgerism, Kricket, Fat Hippo, Hawksmoor, JKS Restaurants, LSL Capital and Dishoom have been shortlisted in this year's R200 Awards.

Friday five: the week's biggest hospitality stories

06-Sep-2024 By Restaurant

Baton Berisha's departure from The Wolseley Hospitality Group, debut regional openings for Big Mamma and Lina Stores, and David Thompson's long-awaited return to the capital were among this week's most read stories.

Pizza Pilgrims to hit Chelsea's King’s Road

06-Sep-2024 By Restaurant

Pizza Pilgrims has signed for its latest site on Chelsea's King’s Road.

Inception Group to open Cahoots: Postal Office in Borough Yards

04-Sep-2024 By Restaurant

Inception Group is continuing its quirky expansion across London with a second site under its Cahoots brand.

Big Mamma to open first UK regional site in Birmingham

02-Sep-2024 By Restaurant

Big Mamma will open its first UK restaurant outside of the capital in Birmingham later this year having taken on the former Vinoteca site.

Bill’s plans ‘multiple new locations’ as it returns to expansion trail

29-Aug-2024 By James McAllister

All-day restaurant group Bill's is returning to the expansion trail with two new sites set to launch in the coming months and further openings planned in the new year.

Prezzo announces overhaul of its estate and mulls a breakfast offer

27-Aug-2024 By Restaurant

Prezzo is to refurbish its restaurant estate over the next couple of years as well as introduce a breakfast menu and a new retail range.

Nando’s launches school leaver apprenticeship programme for second year

20-Aug-2024 By James McAllister

Nando’s has opened applications for the second intake to its ‘Hospitality Heroes’ Apprenticeship Programme.

Fatto a Mano to open sixth pizzeria

14-Aug-2024 By Restaurant

Burgeoning pizza group Fatto a Mano will open its sixth site this autumn, its third in the capital.

Long Read

Hopping to it: why Kricket is back on the expansion trail

14-Aug-2024 By Stefan Chomka

With a new site in Canary Wharf and another opening in Shoreditch, the modern Indian restaurant group is entering a new phase of growth.

Frankie & Benny’s leans into New York-inspired origins with menu shake-up

13-Aug-2024 By Finn Scott-Delany

Big Table Group is trialling a refreshed menu at three Frankie & Benny’s restaurants after discovering the brand’s remaining sites are mostly outperforming their neighbours.

Daisy Green adds to estate with new South Kensington site

01-Aug-2024 By James McAllister

London-based antipodean restaurant group Daisy Green is to further add to its estate this month with the opening of Glamarama Green in South Kensington.

Farmer J makes West London debut with Hammersmith site

25-Jul-2024 By Joe Lutrario

Fast casual ‘farm-to-fork’ restaurant chain Farmer J will launch its first site in West London at the end of this month.

Tortilla sees half-year revenue fall as a result of new delivery strategy

24-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Tortilla has reported a fall in revenue for the first half of the year, amid several new strategic initiatives at the business.

COMMENT

Wagamama wants to join the breakfast club. But will its customers?

22-Jul-2024 By Stefan Chomka

The Japanese noodle chain is looking for a slice of the breakfast market. But after 33 years of offering just lunch and dinner, can it change its customers’ habits of a lifetime?

Wagamama launches Soul Club loyalty programme

17-Jul-2024 By James McAllister

Wagamama has become the latest restaurant brand to launch its own loyalty programme that will offer members free menu items and exclusive content.

Wagamama rolls out breakfast menu at 22 locations

11-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Wagamama is making another tilt at breakfast nearly a decade after it first dipped its toe into the morning market.

Sticks’n’Sushi heads to Islington for 14th restaurant

10-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Danish Japanese restaurant group Sticks’n’Sushi will open its 14th UK location this September.

Loungers reports record year as sales and profits surge

09-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Loungers has announced a record year for sales, profits and site openings in its latest full-year results.

"We are gutted, humbled": Bundobust to close Birmingham site

09-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Indian street food group Bundobust has announced it will close its Birmingham restaurant later this month.

Capdesia exits Marugame Udon Europe

08-Jul-2024 By Restaurant

Marugame Udon Europe parent company Toridoll Holdings is to take full ownership of the noodle restaurant group, with Capdesia successfully exiting its investment.

Wingstop named fastest growing UK restaurant group

28-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

Wingstop UK has been named as the fastest growing restaurant group in the UK by The Sunday Times 100 for the second year in a row.

Tasty looking to 'explore new concepts' as revenues rise

28-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

Wildwood and dim t operator Tasty has reported an increase in revenues as it looks to stabilise the business.

Lina Stores picks Shoreditch for eighth site

28-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

Lina Stores is continuing its expansion across London with plans for an eighth site having been revealed.

Hawksmoor opens Chicago steakhouse as it eyes key cities in North America

26-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

Hawksmoor will open its second US restaurant this week as part of its plans to expand within North America.

Third Harry's venue to open in London

07-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

Richard Caring is bringing his Harry’s restaurant brand to Victoria next month.

Tasty given green light to restructure

05-Jun-2024 By Restaurant

The group behind high street restaurant brands Wildwood and Dim-T has received approval from its creditors and landlords to carry out its restructuring plans.

JKS to open Punjabi restaurant Ambassadors Clubhouse in Mayfair

30-May-2024 By Restaurant

JKS Restaurants will open its latest London venture this summer, celebrating food from Punjab.

Wagamama to expand into India

29-May-2024 By Restaurant

Wagamama is to launch in India later this year having partnered with travel food and retail company Travel Food Services (TFS).

Coffee subscription war heats up as Leon undercuts Pret with new Roast Rewards

29-May-2024 By Restaurant

Leon is bringing the fight to Pret a Manger in the coffee sector with the launch of what it says is the UK’s cheapest high street coffee subscription.

Megan’s reports rise in revenues and profit

24-May-2024 By Restaurant

Megan’s has reported a rise in annual revenues for the year ending March 2024.

Comptoir Group ‘optimistic and cautious’ for the year ahead following marginal revenue rise

21-May-2024 By James McAllister

Comptoir Group says it remains ‘optimistic and cautious about 2024’ following the publication of its latest financial results, amid ongoing price rises and ‘challenged and erratic’ footfall.

Busaba to trial new 'vibey' wet-led concept

21-May-2024 By Shwetali Sapte

Busaba is to trial a new wet-led concept targeted at a younger audience in London’s Westfield Stratford.

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar to occupy former Haugen site in Stratford

20-May-2024 By Stefan Chomka

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has taken on the former Haugen site in Stratford for the opening of another Bread Street Kitchen & Bar.

David Campbell appointed chairman at Rare Restaurants

13-May-2024 By Restaurant

Hospitality industry veteran David Campbell has joined Gaucho owner Rare Restaurants as its chairman.

Pizza Express tees up first UK airport site (and has another shot at breakfast)

10-May-2024 By James McAllister

Pizza Express will open its first restaurant within a UK airport later this month at London Gatwick’s South Terminal.

Dishoom confirms Oxford and Cambridge Permit Room openings

08-May-2024 By Restaurant

Dishoom has confirmed that it is taking its sister brand Permit Room to the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge this year.

R200

Wahaca ‘reimagined’: how the Mexican-inspired group is building back up again

08-May-2024 By James McAllister

After a challenging few years Wahaca is putting the past behind it with a huge new opening in London’s Paddington and a determination to bring back some buena vida.

Big Mamma Group criticised for applying 'checkout fee' on its payment app

03-May-2024 By Finn Scott-Delany

Big Mamma Group has become the latest restaurant operator to face the ire of customers after its mobile payment provider introduced a new charge to its bills.

Chotto Matte to expand into Georgia

19-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Kurt Zdesar’s Japanese-Peruvian restaurant brand Chotto Matte is continuing to push forward with international expansion having secured a site in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Rudy's to hit 10 London sites by the year end

19-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Pizza restaurant group Rudy’s will open its sixth London venue this month, with plans to have 10 in the capital by the end of the year.

Fried chicken burger brand Butchies flocks to London Bridge

16-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Fried chicken burger brand Butchies will open its seventh site in the capital later this year as it looks to restart its expansion.

Hostmore set to acquire TGI Fridays’ US business

16-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Hostmore, the owner of the TGI Fridays UK franchise, has reached an agreement for a proposed all-share acquisition of TGI Fridays in the US for a value of £177m.

Busaba ‘well placed to face economic challenges’

12-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Thai restaurant group Busaba has said it is ‘well placed to face the anticipated customer and market economic challenges ahead’ despite a slight drop in sales.

Temper to launch ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week

11-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

London-based steakhouse and barbecue restaurant group Temper will launch the first site under its new ‘sustainable’ smash burger concept next week in White City.

Wildwood operator Tasty to exit 20 loss making sites

10-Apr-2024 By Hannah Currie

Wildwood operator Tasty plans to exit around 20 loss making sites as part of a company restructuring to secure its long-term future.

Justin Carter named Loungers group managing director in one of three key appointments

08-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Loungers has made three key appointments across its business as it continues to expand.

Rockfish launches virtual fishmonger and seafood counter

08-Apr-2024 By Restaurant

Restaurant and seafood business Rockfish has partnered with Gloucester Services to launch a virtual fishmonger and seafood counter.