More than 700 jobs are set to be created as dozens of closed UK pub and restaurant sites get a fresh start under new ownership.
A total of 57 former Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, and Cookhouse sites are set to be bought and reopened by Common Table Group, a new hospitality company founded by Thomas Anderson.
The sites are among 261 venues that shut down last month as part of Whitbread’s decision to permanently retire several of its restaurant brands, which also included Bar + Block and Table Table.
However, Common Table Group has revealed that they are set to reopen some of the closed sites.
57 former Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Cookhouse sites being rebranded
Thomas Anderson, founder of Common Table Group, said: "Our priority is to get the sites back open and trading as soon as possible.
"We’re building an entrepreneurial business with a local feel, where our teams are empowered to make decisions and shape each venue around the people and communities it serves."
Mr Anderson said the sites will "remain restaurants at heart" and will offer an all-day food and drink menu designed for both hotel guests and diners.
He also confirmed that the new venues will include a coffee offering from his London-based doughnut brand, Rodeo Doughnuts.
Common Table plans to reopen the sites under a new brand, with the first location expected to launch in mid-November, according to reports.
The company’s website describes the concept as "an all-day restaurant and barista-style coffee bar.
"Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or something in between, there’s always a seat at our table."
The full list of rebranded locations is due to be announced soon.
Why did Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites close?
The closures of all the Whitbread sites last month came as part of its wider five-year growth strategy, which the company said is necessary to achieve £250 million in cost savings.
All of its 261 standalone branded restaurants across the UK were closed last month, including:
Whitbread plans to convert some former restaurant sites into additional Premier Inn rooms and expects to generate around £1.5 billion from the sale of freehold properties to support further expansion.
Beefeater and Brewers Fayre were significant losses for many UK restaurant-goers, with the former founded 52 years ago in 1974.
Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread, said: "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.
"This has been a rigorous process and we’ve approached all options with an open mind.
"Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy.
"This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.
"We’re going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders."
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While Whitbread said it aimed to redeploy as many affected staff as possible, the closures resulted in approximately 3,800 job losses.
A spokesperson for the company said: "We will do all we can to support those colleagues affected."
The group currently owns about 86,600 hotel rooms and aims to increase this to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year.
Did you go to any of the Whitbread restaurants like Beefeater and Brewers Fayre? Let us know in the comments.
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