Whitbread to close 200 restaurants, cut 3,800 jobs

Hotel chain Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn, announced plans on Tuesday to close 200 Brewers Fayre and Beefeater restaurants across the UK and Ireland, eliminating 3,800 jobs as it phases out the two brands entirely.

The closures form part of a new five-year strategy aimed at saving 250 million pounds through cost reductions and a restaurant overhaul. Whitbread chief executive Dominic Paul attributed the decision to rising operational expenses, stating it was necessary "in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and National Insurance," which the company linked to the recent budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The affected sites, many attached to or housed within Premier Inn hotels, will see Whitbread sell and lease back up to 1.5 billion pounds worth of freehold properties. Proceeds will fund future growth, including converting remaining branded restaurants into integrated food and beverage options tailored to hotel guests. Paul added, "We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms." He noted...