Pizza Express orders up £55m in extra dough April 3, 2025 Pizza Express has secured a boost worth £55m after agreeing a refinancing deal which will significantly cut its debt. The restaurant chain has negotiated a £55m par debt paydown which will see its debt position reduced to £280m. As part of the deal, shareholders including Bain Capital Special Situations will inject £20m equity into the [...]
Ryan Giggs restaurant closed owing huge sums March 24, 2025 Almost £500,000 was owed by the company behind a restaurant owned by former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs when it collapsed, it has been confirmed. George’s Dining Room and Bar in Worsley, Salford, shut in February and the business behind it was placed into voluntary liquidation. Ryan Giggs opened the restaurant with friends Kelvin Gregory [...]
Robert De Niro backs plans for tallest skyscraper outside London March 20, 2025 A company co-founded by Hollywood legend Robert De Niro has signed up to open a hotel, restaurant and residences in a planned skyscraper which would be the tallest building outside London. Nobu Hospitality has partnered with developer Salboy on the £360m scheme in Manchester city centre. The project, known as Viadux 2, has been earmarked [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best restaurants in Florence March 20, 2025 Last week began with a wonderfully long lunch in Bluebird Chelsea with Mirabeau founder Stephen Cronk and his chief exec Richard Larkin. Everyone in the drinks business loves these guys, but I take credit for introducing the Batman and Robin of Provencal rose to each other back in 2017. In Bluebird, the restaurant atmosphere was [...]
Bistrot Pierre: Jobs lost and restaurants closed as chain rescued March 7, 2025 Almost 160 jobs have been lost and a number of restaurants are to close after Bistrot Pierre was sold out of administration to a private equity firm. A vehicle owned by Cherry Equity Partners has snapped up part of the Nottingham-headquartered chain in a deal which has saved 394 roles and ten sites. However, eight [...]
Chopstix doubles its sales in four years as UK expansion continues February 14, 2025 Asian food eatery chain Chopstix more than doubled its sales over a four-year period ahead of being snapped up by a European giant, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered business has posted a turnover of £64.5m for the 12 months to 28 April, 2024, its final full year before being acquired. A 51 per cent [...]
Reviewing the new Gordon Ramsay opening that’s the highest restaurant in Europe February 13, 2025 Lucky Cat at 22 Bishopsgate by Gordon Ramsay review and star rating: ★★★ Going to Gordon Ramsay’s newest restaurant is palm sweat-inducing stuff. From its sky-high vantage point, one can look down at the Walkie Talkie, which, despite being famed for its views, looks puny. Lucky Cat at 22 Bishopsgate, on the 60th floor of [...]
I signed a waiver to eat London’s hottest chicken at Dave’s Hot Chicken February 4, 2025 Dave’s Hot Chicken is open on Shaftesbury Avenue What is it with men (yes, it is men) and hot chicken? There are dissertations waiting to be written about masculinity and its inextricable connection to hot chilli eating contests, but the trend is more significant in America than the UK. However, London is getting a (red [...]
Wingstop and Popeyes serve up major UK expansion plans January 27, 2025 Fast-growing chains Wingstop and Popeyes have each announced major plans to expand further across the UK and create thousands of jobs. Popeyes has outlined proposals to almost double its footprint in the UK with the opening of more than 45 restaurants. The move will increase its presence in the likes of Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol [...]
The Wolseley: Group behind high-end London restaurants eyes new openings January 9, 2025 The group behind some of London’s best-known restaurants is looking to open new locations at home and abroad. The Wolseley Hospitality Group, which is owned by Minor Hotels, currently operates nine high-end restaurants in the capital: The Wolseley, The Delauney, Brasserie Zedel, Colbert, Fischer’s, Belanger, Soutine, Manzi’s and The Wolseley City. The strategy update has [...]