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UK Restaurant Chain Shuts All 89 Sites After 45-Years with More Coming
Whitbread is shifting to hotel-based dining and aims to save £250 million as it closes standalone brands and cuts about 3,800 jobs.
On Monday, September 7, 2026, the restaurant chain Brewers Fayre shuts its doors across the UK, including sites in Essex after more than 40 years on the high street.
Whitbread announced the restructuring to achieve £250 million in savings, shifting toward an 'integrated food and beverage offer' that Dominic Paul, Whitbread CEO, said is 'highly popular with hotel guests'.
The closure of 261 standalone restaurants, including Brewers Fayre and Beefeater brands, will result in 3,800 job cuts as the business pivots to a higher-margin, hotel-focused model.
Following Brewers Fayre closures, all 106 Beefeater restaurants are scheduled to shut on Thursday, September 10, including The Haywain and Watermill locations.
Whitbread intends to sell £1.5 billion in freehold properties to fund expansion, aiming to grow its Premier Inn hotel portfolio to 96,000 rooms by the 2031 financial year.