Whitbread Closes All Branded Restaurants to Focus on Hotels

Hospitality group Whitbread PLC is closing all its standalone branded restaurant chains across the United Kingdom and Ireland in September 2026. This restructuring is part of a five-year growth strategy to transform the company into a pure-play hotel business centered on its Premier Inn brand. The closures will occur in stages: Table Table, Cookhouse + Pub, and Bar + Block will shutter on September 3, followed by 89 Brewers Fayre sites on September 7 and 106 Beefeater locations on September 10.

Chief Executive Dominic Paul attributed the decision to unsustainable cost pressures, specifically increases in business rates and employer National Insurance contributions. The overhaul aims to reduce costs by £250 million and includes the sale of approximately £1.5 billion in freehold properties. The company intends to replace standalone brands with integrated food and beverage offers within Premier Inn hotels, targeting a total capacity of 96,000 rooms by the 2031 financial year.

The restructuring puts approximately 3,800 roles at risk, representing about 12 percent of the company's 30,000-strong workforce in the UK and Ireland. Whitbread has stated it will attempt to redeploy as many affected colleagues as possible. Additionally, Beefeater has notified customers that its loyalty scheme will end on August 31, with a deadline of August 24 for customers to collect points for use as vouchers.