Full list of 194 Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants at risk of closing for good | UK | News
Premier Inn’s parent company is considering the closure of two beloved British restaurant chains, potentially permanently eliminating hundreds of venues on high streets across the country. Whitbread has announced it may close its remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, closing around 200 sites and canceling 3,800 positions.
The proposal forms part of a new five-year plan under which the company will aim to cut costs by £250 million as it transforms its restaurant operations. These reductions could result in layoffs of around 12 per cent of staff at affected sites, although the business has said it will manage to retain the overwhelming majority of its 30,000-strong workforce.
Restaurants are often located adjacent to or within Premier Inn hotels and have become a fixture for the millions of guests who stay each year. The closures will see the end of Beefeater restaurants after more than 50 years in business, with Brewers Fayre on track to celebrate the same anniversary in 2029.
Whitbread pointed to Rachel Reeves’ budget, while chief executive Dominic Paul said the decision was inevitable “in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and National Insurance”.
In practical terms, the move will see Whitbread sell and lease back its properties worth £1.5bn, “recycling” the proceeds to “fund future growth”. Discussing the strategy, Mr Paul said: “We plan to transform all our remaining branded restaurants into the integrated food and beverage offering preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of higher margin expansion rooms.” reports the mirror.
“Our continued efforts to improve our commercial plan and efficiency will expand our market leading position and allow us to capture share from our competitors, many of whom are struggling to grow.”
