Whitbread’s decision to close all Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants marks a significant shift towards becoming a pure hotel business, impacting nearly 4,000 jobs. The closures will occur across the UK and Ireland.
Whitbread plans to cut about 3,800 jobs, affecting approximately 12% of its 30,000-strong workforce. The company intends to shut its remaining 197 Beefeater and Brewers Fayre locations. Some of these restaurants will be converted into additional hotel rooms.
The changes are part of Whitbread’s new five-year plan. The company has faced pressure from an activist investor to rethink its business strategy. Whitbread’s revenues for the year ending February 26 were flat compared to the previous year.
Key facts:
- About 3,800 jobs will be lost due to the closures.
- The company expects to retain a significant proportion of affected staff.
- 600 additional Premier Inn rooms will be created from the converted restaurants.
The Unite union is seeking consultations with Whitbread over these proposed redundancies. Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, a union representative, criticized the way employees learned about the job cuts through the media.
A Whitbread spokesperson stated, “We will do all we can to support those colleagues affected.” They added that this change involves exiting all remaining branded restaurants in favor of focusing on hotel operations.
