Whitbread has confirmed the final trading days for its Brewers Fayre and Beefeater chains, with all 89 Brewers Fayre sites closing after dinner service on September 7. The 106-strong Beefeater brand will follow on September 10, as part of the company's previously announced plan to phase out all separately-branded restaurants.
Timeline of closures
Other Whitbread restaurant brands, including Bar + Block, Table Table, and Cookhouse + Pub, will close on September 3. In total, around 200 sites are affected by the overhaul, which was first revealed in April.
Job cuts and cost savings
The decision is part of a five-year strategy to generate £250 million in cost savings, which also involves cutting approximately 3,800 jobs across the UK and Ireland. Whitbread is replacing the restaurant chains with dining options inside Premier Inn hotels, a move it says is more efficient and popular with hotel guests.
Expansion plans
Despite the closures, Whitbread plans to increase its Premier Inn hotel room count to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year, up from the current 86,600. Chief executive Dominic Paul stated in April: “We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we’ve looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term.” He added: “This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.”
