A restaurant and pub chain will shut all its sites in the coming days as part of a major hospitality restructure.
Cookhouse + Pub, which currently operates 14 sites across the UK, will close its doors as part of Whitbread’s decision to shut all of its standalone branded restaurants.
Other chains affected include:
- Brewers Fayre (89 locations) - closing on September 7
- Beefeater (106) - September 10
- Bar + Block (20) - September 3
- Table Table (32) - September 3
The closures follow Whitbread’s announcement in April of plans to cut around 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland as part of a five-year strategy to save £250 million.
Whitbread will replace the closed sites with restaurants inside Premier Inn hotels.
Whitbread chief executive Dominic Paul previously 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 plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business."
Full list of 14 Cookhouse + Pub restaurants closing in the UK
All 14 Cookhouse + Pub restaurants will close for good on September 3.
The locations of these restaurants are:
- The Brickfield
- Butterley Park
- Cotton Mill
- The Freeman
- The Highwayman
- Honourable Pilot
- Inn on the Park
- Lockyers Quay
- Penhale Round
- Potters Arms
- The Queen Inn
- The Steamboat
- Three Piers
- Woodhorn Grange
Ahead of this week's closures, Cookhouse + Pub posted on social media to thank all its customers.
It said: "On the 3rd September, Cookhouse + Pub will be officially closing its doors across all our locations.
"From quick mid-week dinners to decades of family celebrations, it has been an honour to serve communities across the UK.
"We are so grateful for everyone who made our restaurants feel like home.
"We hope you’re able to join us at least once more to create more memories before we close on the 3rd September!
"Thank you for everything."
Queensway Inns rescues 53 Whitbread sites
Of the 261 Whitbread sites earmarked for closure, 53 have been sold to Queensway Inns, who plan to relaunch them as a new chain.
A Whitbread spokesperson, speaking to Newsquest, previously 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 53 sites are reportedly a mix of all Whitbread brands earmarked for closure.
Queensway plans to rebrand and relaunch the sites as affordable pubs, but the new name, menu pricing, and reopening dates are yet to be confirmed.
Is there a Cookhouse + Pub restaurant closing near you? Let us know in the comments below.
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