Closing Dates Confirmed For Brewers Fayre And Beefeater Restaurants
Whitbread has confirmed that its Brewers Fayre and Beefeater restaurants across the UK will close in September, including several well known locations in Cumbria.
The company is set to close its 89 Brewers Fayre restaurants after dinner service on September 7, followed by the closure of its 106 Beefeater locations on September 10. The move will affect around 200 restaurants across the UK and comes as Whitbread changes how it operates its hotel and restaurant businesses.
The Cumbria locations affected include Lakeland Gate Brewers Fayre in Carlisle, Brewers Fayre restaurants in Cockermouth, Barrow and Howgate near Whitehaven, as well as Border Gate Beefeater in Carlisle. The closures are expected to bring an end to the current operations at these sites.
Whitbread plans to replace the standalone restaurant brands with restaurants located within its Premier Inn hotels. The company said the new approach is expected to be more efficient and better suited to customer demand, while allowing the group to focus more closely on its hotel business.
The closures form part of a wider five year strategy aimed at saving £250 million, which is expected to result in around 3,800 job losses across the UK and Ireland. Whitbread is also seeking to expand its hotel operation, with plans to increase the number of open rooms from around 86,600 to approximately 96,000 by the 2031 financial year.
The Lakeland Gate Brewers Fayre site in Carlisle has already been placed on the market for £500,000. The property is being offered as a going concern and includes a 175 cover restaurant, a 20 cover bar area and an indoor children's play facility capable of accommodating around 45 children.
The changes come as Whitbread continues to invest in its hotel network across Cumbria. In Carlisle, the company has also received approval to develop a new five storey Premier Inn on the site of the former Central Plaza Hotel on Victoria Viaduct. The proposed hotel will have 104 bedrooms, alongside a restaurant and bar.
For customers who regularly visit the affected restaurants, the September closures will mark a significant change to the local dining landscape. The future use of some of the standalone restaurant properties will depend on whether they are sold, redeveloped or taken over for alternative uses.
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