Whitbread Closes All Branded Restaurants to Focus on Hotels

Whitbread PLC is closing all of its standalone branded restaurant chains as part of a five-year restructuring strategy to become a pure-play hotel business. The company will shut 106 Beefeater sites on September 10, 2026, and 89 Brewers Fayre locations on September 7, 2026. Other brands, including Bar + Block, Table Table, and Cookhouse + Pub, are scheduled to close on September 3.

Chief Executive Dominic Paul attributed the decision to unsustainable cost pressures resulting from government policies, specifically increases in business rates and employer National Insurance contributions. The overhaul aims to reduce costs by £250 million and places approximately 3,800 jobs at risk across the UK and Ireland, though the company expects to redeploy a significant portion of the workforce.

To fund future growth, the company plans to sell approximately £1.5 billion in freehold properties and reduce net capital investment by over £1 billion. Whitbread will shift its food and drink model to integrate directly within Premier Inn hotels, converting some restaurant sites into additional hotel rooms. The company targets a total of 96,000 rooms by the 2031 financial year, up from 86,600.