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Dominic Paul confirms Whitbread will close all 106 Beefeater restaurant sites across the UK by September 2026

Whitbread PLC has confirmed that all 106 Beefeater restaurant sites across the United Kingdom will permanently close by September 10, 2026. This mass closure is a central component of a five-year restructuring plan designed to save the company £250 million in costs. The administration announced that the move will replace the branded restaurants with an integrated food and drink model at Premier Inn hotels, which the company believes is more efficient and preferred by guests. Chief Executive Dominic Paul stated that the overhaul is a response to significant cost pressures from business rates and national insurance contributions. The restructuring is expected to impact approximately 3,800 jobs nationwide. While Beefeater sites will shut on the same date, Brewers Fayre restaurants will also close, though specific dates for these sites have not been finalized. The company plans to transition into a higher-margin, pure-play hotel business, aiming to expand its hotel portfolio to 96,000 rooms by the 2031 financial year. To fund this growth, Whitbread intends to sell approximately £1.5 billion worth of property.

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