Whitbread, the hospitality group behind Premier Inn, Beefeater, and Brewers Fayre, has confirmed the closure dates for all 261 of its branded restaurant sites across the UK, with the last closures scheduled for September 10. The move will result in the loss of 3,800 roles, as the company pivots to focus solely on its hotel business.
The affected brands include Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Cookhouse + Pub, and Bar + Block. However, 53 of the sites earmarked for closure have reportedly been acquired by rival Queensway Hospitality Group, subject to final conditions, which could transfer up to 900 staff members to the new owner.
Closure dates and brands
Bar + Block, Whitbread's all-day steakhouse concept introduced in 2016, will close its 20 sites on September 3. Table Table, the family-oriented pub chain, will shut 32 venues on the same date. Cookhouse + Pub will cease trading at 14 branches on September 3.
Brewers Fayre, established in 1981, will close its locations on September 7, while Beefeater, trading since 1974, will shut all its premises on September 10.
Job losses and redeployment
Whitbread acknowledged the impact on its workforce, stating: "As a business which recruits around 15,000 people every year, we expect to be able to retain a significant proportion of those affected and will be looking to redeploy as many of our impacted colleagues as possible. However, we do anticipate that the proposed changes, which are subject to consultation, would result in a reduction of around 3,800 roles of a total UK and Ireland workforce of around 30,000."
Sale to Queensway
Regarding the disposal of 53 properties to Queensway, Whitbread said: "Whitbread has reached an agreement for the conditional sale of 53 branded restaurant sites to Queensway Inns, subject to a number of final conditions being met. Queensway Inns has extensive experience operating hospitality businesses across the UK and intends to operate the sites as going concerns. Subject to completion of the sale and following the relevant TUPE information and consultation processes, around 900 team members could transfer and will be supported through the process."
The proposed sale represents further progress against Whitbread's accelerating growth plan, first announced in April 2024. In April 2026, Whitbread announced a proposal to extend the programme to include all remaining branded restaurants and add a total of 3,600 new hotel extension rooms in locations with strong demand, whilst continuing to offer a great breakfast, dinner and drinks nationwide through the creation of new Premier Inn restaurants inside all hotels. This mirrors the format already in operation in over half of Premier Inn hotels and is highly popular with hotel guests.
