All 106 Beefeater restaurants across the UK will close their doors for good on Thursday 10 September, Whitbread has confirmed, as the company slashes costs and pivots toward becoming a pure-play hotel business. The move puts around 3,800 jobs at risk, with the firm expecting to retain a “significant proportion” of affected staff through redeployment.
Customers were told in a letter to Beefeater reward club members, seen by the Southend Echo: “As you may have seen, we have recently announced changes to our business, which is resulting in the closure of our Branded Restaurants. This means that on Thursday 10 September 2026 your local Beefeater and all other UK Beefeaters will close.” The loyalty programme itself will shut on 31 August.
“All 106 Beefeater restaurants will close on September 10, 2026, with 3,800 jobs at risk.”
Whitbread boss Dominic Paul blamed “significant cost increases” for the overhaul, which also includes the closure of the company’s Brewers Fayre and Bar + Block chains – though exact dates for those brands have yet to be announced. Many of the sites will either be sold or converted into additional Premier Inn bedrooms and integrated hotel dining spaces.
Paul said in April: “We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms.” The restructuring is part of a wider plan to cut costs by £250 million, with the company aiming to extend its market-leading position in the hospitality sector.