KITCHEN SHUT
All the restaurant chains that have closed branches in 2024 including collapse of top chef’s business after 33 years
A hard year for hospitality has seen many restaurants shut their doors
IT's been a tough year for hospitality with a number of chain restaurants disappearing from the high street.
Rising bills, increasing labour costs and high guest expectations have all made it a tough environment for restaurants.
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Those to have been lost from high streets in 2024 include TV chef Simon Rimmer's Greens, TGI Fridays and the controversial Karen's Diner.
Craig Rachel, director at financial adviser AlixPartners, explained what had pushed businesses to close sites in 2024.
He said: "Restaurants have seen the accumulation of external pressures in 2024, including rising utility costs, food prices and labour costs. Although some of these factors have stabilised over recent months, the overall impact is significant and will be exacerbated again in 2025 following the budget announcements, and this has all affected profitability.
"Some restaurant groups have been able to mitigate this to a certain extent through operational efficiencies and pricing, but consumer spending in the sector is under pressure meaning price measures are often unable to fully bridge the gap.
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"For some groups the cumulative impact of these factors have made certain sites unviable and we’ve seen the resulting closures.
"However, there have also been winners over the period.
"There are examples of chains with differentiated offers that resonate with consumers delivering very strong performance during the year, and we have seen certain groups attracting interest from both trade and private equity investors that could drive merger and acquisition activity into 2025."
But, while some may be seeing brighter days ahead accounting firm RSM has warned there could be further casualties in 2025 with "some hospitality businesses unlikely to remain viable in the face of such cost increases."
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Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge also warned of further closures after October's budget.
He said: "There will be a huge amount of closures.
"We've already got high-profile names and Michelin-star restaurants that have decided to shut their doors.
"And when that starts to happen, it does begin to filter down."
Ans, it's not just chains that have been struggling, a number of celebrity TV chefs’ restaurants have closed this year.
Here are the restaurants that have been lost from the high street in 2024:
Why are so many pubs and bars closing?
Greens
Simon Rimmer's vegetarian restaurant business Greens was in operation for 33 years before its two sites were forced to close this year.
Sunday Brunch star Simon's first Greens restaurant opened its doors in Didsbury, Manchester in 1990, with a second opening in nearby Sale in 2022.
However, rising rents and running costs made the original restaurant "unviable" and it shut its doors back in January.
Then, in September, the Sale restaurant also closed, marking the end of Simon's chain.
The Manchester-based restaurants collapsed owing more than £500,000 to creditors, documents later revealed.
Karen's Diner
Britain's "rudest restaurant" Karen's Diner closed all its UK sites this year after its parent company, Viral Ventures UK, reportedly racked up more than £400,000 worth of debt.
Karen's Diner, where staff were intentionally rude to customers, attracted controversy in 2022 after a video surfaced of a waiter calling a customer a paedophile in front of his 14-year-old daughter.
It continued to gain attention on TikTok, with some calling its controversial approach "fun", but others claiming they were .
The group had launched in the UK in 2022 with venues in Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham and continued to expand throughout 2023.
However, its collapse was announced in September.
Ibérica
Casual restaurant chain Ibérica, created by Michelin-starred chef Nacho Manzano closed three sites after it fell into administration.
The chain, known for its traditional Spanish dishes and luxurious settings, had operated four restaurants in London and one in Leeds.
But RSM, a professional services firm, confirmed the closures of three sites earlier this month.
The affected locations are in Leeds, Canary Wharf, and Marylebone.
After being saved by the Camino group, a Farringdon branch continues to run.
TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays closed 35 sites after collapsing into administration in September.
More than 1,000 staff lost their jobs after a deal to save the chain excluded the struggling sites.
Private equity firms Breal Capital and Calveton UK stepped in to save the chain's other restaurants, which now operates under the parent company Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group.
TGI Fridays made its UK debut in Birmingham in 1986 and quickly expanded nationwide.
A decade ago, the chain was acquired by a private equity firm, which rebranded it.
In 2021, it was spun off into Hostmore, which traded on the London Stock Exchange until the recent administration led to its being delisted.
Hostmore had reported that UK sales dropped by more than 10% in the last 12 months.
Hungry Cow
Family-run burger chain Hungry Cow closed two sites with "immediate effect"; in November.
Christy Goode opened his first restaurant in 2021 in Holwell, Flintshire, after initially renting pub kitchens in Prestatyn.
It "blew up right from the start" and became known for its luxury burgers, wings and loaded fries.
Goode then expanded with branches in Colwyn Bay and Mold.
But, last month the chain closed its Colwyn Bay and Flint express site, focusing on its remaining Mold restaurant.
Papa Johns
Family favourite pizza chain Papa Johns closed 43 UK sites in May.
The chain, which operates 524 locations in the UK, said it was targeting "low-performing restaurants" in a bid to boost profits.
The chain's first British restaurant opened in 1999 in Gray's in Essex since when it has gone international.
In 2013 it celebrated the opening of its 200th UK store.
Wildwood and Dim T
Tasty, the owner of the Wildwood and Dim T brands, announced plans to close 18 branches in April.
Tasty said it planned to exit the loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
The group had planned to reduce its estate to around 30 UK sites by the end of 2024.
Wetherspoon
Pub giant JD Wetherspoon has closed 26 of its pubs for good since July 2023, and in October said five more were at risk.
Pubs have closed in locations across the UK, including Stafford, London, Halifax and Penarth.
At the time Wetherspoon said a further five had been put up for sale, four of which were under offer.
Wetherspoon has also opened three new sites in the last 12 months - The Captain Flinders near Euston Station and the Star Light at Heathrow Airport, and The Grand Assembly in Marlow.
A number of sites have also been expanded including the Red Lion,
Skegness; the Talk of the Town, Paignton; the Albany Palace, Trowbridge and the Mile Castle, Newcastle.
Whitbread
Earlier this year Premier Inn operator Whitbread announced plans to close 200 of its pubs and restaurants.
Whitbread-owned brands include Beefeater, Cookhouse Pub, Table Table and more.
Some branches have been sold while others were earmarked for conversion into hotel rooms.
Whitbread intended all sites earmarked for closure to shut within two years and said the plans would see 1,500 jobs lost.
Gusto
Italian chain Gusto closed its Didsbury restaurant this year “following an approach from a well-known high street retailer”.
The closure left the group with 13 restaurants across the UK.
The group had earlier closed four sites as it sought to consolidate following the Covid-19 pandemic in September 2020.
Haché
Gourmet burger brand Haché filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators and closed four sites in November.
Restaurants closed were in Balham, Camden, Chelsea and Kingston, while a fifth in Holborn continued to trade.
A month earlier it had been reported that the 11-year-old business had been exploring options for a sale.
D&D
Restaurant group D&D is reportedly planning to close Leeds restaurant Angelica & Crafthouse.
The group had closed another Leeds site, East 59th, in 2023.
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At the time it pulled down the shutters on a handful of underperforming sites including Klosterhaus in Bristol and Haugen in Stratford.
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
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