A BELOVED restaurant chain is set to close its doors in some locations, leaving locals heartbroken.
The restaurant’s closures comes as Whitbread announces plans to axe 1,500 jobs and shut down over 200 eateries across the UK.
Grimsby locals will be the first to feel the impact. The Haven Brewers Fayre on Appian Way is closing its doors permanently this Friday, July 5th.
After years of serving up classic pub grub and family favourites, this beloved spot will serve its final customers this week.
Over in Cleethorpes, the Brewers Fayre at Meridian Point is facing a different fate.
Starting July 5, it will be de-branded and only serve guests staying at the adjoining Premier Inn hotel.
According to an email sent to Brewers Fayre Bonus Club members, the restaurant will no longer be open to the general public.
The email stated: “We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause.”
A Whitbread spokesperson told Grimsby Live: “After many years serving the community, we can confirm The Haven is closing its doors on July 5.
“We’d like to thank the local community for their support over the years and our amazing team members.”
This devastating news doesn’t stop there. Whitbread’s dramatic decision will affect over 200 restaurants and pubs in the coming months.
Despite boasting a 36 percent increase in annual profits to £561million, the company is slashing jobs as part of an “accelerating growth plan”.
CEO Dominic Paul acknowledged the impact on employees, saying: “We recognise that our transition will impact some of our team members, so we will be providing support throughout this process.”
The Brewers Fayre locations in Grimsby and Cleethorpes are just the beginning.
As Whitbread gears up to shut down loss-making venues and convert others into hotel extensions, communities across the UK are bracing for the loss of their local eateries.
In Crewe, the Brocklebank Brewers Fayre on Weston Road faces a potential closure as early as July 4.
Residents expressed their sorrow on social media, with one local commenting: “There’ll be nowhere in Crewe where families can go to eat and the kids can play indoors.”
Whitbread’s decision to shutter 126 restaurant sites and convert 112 into hotel rooms signals a massive shift in the hospitality landscape.
While the company aims to “optimise” its food and drink offerings and add more than 3,500 hotel rooms, it leaves a trail of disappointed patrons and displaced employees.
The hospitality industry has struggled to recover from the pandemic, and soaring costs have only worsened the situation.
Whitbread’s closures are part of a broader trend affecting big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s.
Some chains have not survived, with Byron Burger falling into administration last year.
Meanwhile, Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
The brand plans to close 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
WHITBREAD is a hospitality business and the owner of Premier Inn.
It has around 840 sites across the UK, including restaurants attached to its hotels and standalone venues.
Here is a full list of the brands that Whitbread owns:
