WHITBREAD is one of the country’s biggest hospitality chains – but which brands does it own?
The company owns around 840 sites across the UK so you will likely have visited one of its locations.
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But the chain, which owns Premier Inn, is planning to slash its chain of branded restaurants by more than 200.
It said the move is part of a plan to “optimise” its food and drink offering to add more than 3,500 hotel rooms across its estate.
Whitbread said it plans to sell 126 of its less profitable branded restaurants, with 21 sales already having gone through.
It hopes the sales will be completed within the next two years.
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It will also convert 112 restaurants into new hotel rooms.
These venues will remain open as usual until they are sold.
The move will leave Whitbread with 387 restaurants that are part of its hotels and 196 branded restaurants.
However, it’s unclear exactly which pubs and restaurants are earmarked for closure and where they are located.
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As many as 1,500 jobs will be cut as a result and will come from its total UK workforce of 37,000.
Chief executive Dominic Paul said: “We recognise that our transition will impact some of our team members so we will be providing support throughout this process and we are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of those affected to remain with us.”
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The FTSE 100 company announced a pre-tax profit of £452 million for the year ending February 29, up 21% on the year before.
But its restaurants and pubs division lagged behind.
What is Whitbread and what brands does it own?
Whitbread is a hospitality business and the owner of Premier Inn.
It has around 840 sites across the UK, including restaurants attached to its hotels and standalone venues.
Here is a full list of the brands that Whitbread owns:
- Premier Inn
- Hub by Premier Inn
- Zip by Premier Inn
- Beefeater
- Bar+Block
- Thyme
- Cookhouse & Pub
- Brewers Fayre
- Table Table
- Whitbread Inns
Why is Whitbread closing its restaurants?
In its full year results – an update on its financial condition and operations – Whitbread said it wanted to increase it’s “operational efficiencies”.
Despite annoucing a pre-tax profit the company’s restaurants and pubs division lagged behind.
The company’s total food and beverage sales were up only 7% year on year, driven mainly by breakfasts in the restaurant chain.
Food and beverage sales were down 2% for the seven weeks to April 18, the most recent period on record.
As a result, Whitbread said the cost-cutting programme will save about £150 million over the next three years.
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Which Whitbread restaurants are at risk of closing?
Whitbread hasn’t revealed which sites will be put up for sale, or sold.
The Sun has asked Whitbread for more information and we will update this story as soon as we know more.
What else is happening in the hospitality sector?
WHITBREAD is not the only company looking to close venues.
Earlier this year The Sun revealed that over 7,000 pubs are expected to go bust in the next year.
Rising costs and fewer punters through the door has meant that four out of five pubs have seen their profits take a nosedive.
Wetherspoons has already shut more than 40 pubs and punters could be set to lose as many as 19 more.
In September last year the chain – which has 827 pubs across the UK – announced that it was putting dozens of pubs up for sale.
Almost half a dozen pubs remain up for sale, although just a few weeks ago it announced that two had been saved.
The Rochester Castle in London’s Stoke Newington and the Gate House in Doncaster will now remain part of the hospitality giant’s portfolio.
Meanwhile, popular bar chain Revolution is reportedly in talks about shutting the doors on around 20 of its worst-performing pubs.
There is said to be a proposal to axe about a quarter of its venues to keep afloat.
It is unknown how many people could face job cuts, but one insider said it could reach into the hundreds.
Revolution Bars revealed in January it would have to close eight of its boozers, and blamed younger customers spending less than they used to.
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