Bar + Block at Whiteley Shopping Centre is set to reopen just weeks after its shock closure, becoming one of more than 100 former Whitbread venues due to return under new ownership. The steakhouse closed its doors in September as part of a nationwide shake-up by Whitbread, which also saw dozens of Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Cookhouse + Pub venues shut.
New owners acquire 110 former Whitbread sites
Hospitality firms Queensway Inn and Common Table Group have bought a combined 110 former Whitbread sites, according to the Daily Echo. The new owners have said they aim to bring the venues back into operation as swiftly as possible, with the first locations expected to welcome customers again from the middle of November.
Employment boost and local reaction
The reopening programme is also set to provide a significant employment boost, with more than 700 jobs anticipated to be created across the estate. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal, Liberal Democrat for Whiteley and Shedfield on Winchester City, called it "wonderful news". He said: "I am really glad to hear Bar + Block is reopening in Whiteley. It’s great to have more dining options in the area."
The reopening represents a remarkable reversal of fortunes for the restaurant, whose future looked uncertain over the summer after Whitbread announced the closure of dozens of sites nationwide. At the time, Councillor Achwal expressed disappointment over the decision to close the venue, describing it as a popular dining destination that had become a valued part of Whiteley since it first opened its doors. He said in August: "It is a shame that Bar + Block is closing; the restaurant has been in Whiteley Shopping Centre for a few years. It has been a popular place in Whiteley, and I am sorry to see it close."
