All Restaurants (Casual Dining) articles
-
NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up the latest openings news from across the hospitality sector, featuring Quaglino’s, Wagamama, Vagabond, Chaiiwala and more
-
NewsWagamama targeting 100 restaurants in India via joint venture
The Restaurant Group owned brand has entered into a joint venture with Charcoal Concepts – a multi-brand restaurant platform owned by K Hospitality Corp – to build on the success of its four openings in India to date
-
NewsPoke House appoints UK operations manager
Former international franchise manager for Pret, Nikolas Kompothekras Kotsoros, joins the Italian poke chain to oversee its 11-strong London estate
-
NewsThe Coconut Tree returns to expansion
The Sri Lankan restaurant group, which was sold out of administration last year to two members of the founding team, will open a new restaurant in central Bristol this month
-
NewsIn pictures: Browns West India Quay
Mitchells & Butlers’ has introduced a contemporary new look at the premium casual dining brand’s 467-cover West India Quay site following an extensive renovation
-
InterviewsKibou: ‘We are achieving double-digit growth’
Japanese premium casual concept Kibou is reaping the benefits of its refocused strategy to acquire larger capacity city centre sites with a “fantastic” 18 months of strong sales growth, MD Sam Horswill tells MCA.
-
NewsGiggling Squid launches largest ever menu update
Featuring 16 new items, served in generous portions, new dishes include Khao Mok Moo, a Thai take on biryani featuring wok-fried rice and chilli pork wrapped in a lotus leaf, as well as Yellow Noodle Tamarind Duck and a Whole Sea Bass Green Curry
-
NewsOpenings of the week
MCA rounds up this week’s biggest openings stories including a second London location for Parisian smash burger import, Dumbo, and the European debut of Australian frozen yogurt brand Yo-Chi
-
Analysis & InsightUK restaurant market to be valued at £18.7bn in 2026
Data from Lumina Intelligence shows the segment will see turnover growth of 1% despite a 0.9% decline in outlets to 25,915
-
NewsThe Salad Project sees year of ‘significant and deliberate investment in growth’
The London-based premium salad concept saw turnover jump 47.3% in 2025, powered by new site openings, product ranges and the launch of a direct business catering offer
-
Analysis & InsightWorld Cup lifts deliveries as restaurant at-home sales grow 3.3% in June
Deliveries continued to gain share of the at-home market at the expense of takeaways, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows, with sales rising 7.5% on a like-for-like basis
-
NewsUniversity College Birmingham invests £15m in hospitality venues
UCB has acquired the former The Cube Hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant sites in the first stage of an investment programme to deliver three new hospitality venues across Birmingham
-
InterviewsEmilia’s Crafted Pasta: ‘We’ve doubled down on values and quality’
Founder Andrew Macleod tells MCA he sees scope for the premium pasta concept to eventually reach 50 sites across the UK, but only if the brand’s culture is preserved
-
NewsMore hospitality businesses viewing air conditioning as a necessity
The hot weather this year has forced some restaurants to close at times, however some operators have faced lengthy planning applications to install air conditioning
-
NewsTonkotsu achieves +11% increase in turnover
Ramen restaurant group Tonkotsu said its strong revenue growth was supported by new locations, an updated menu design, and price optimisation, with up to four additional sites planned over the next two years.
-
InterviewsTortilla: ‘We’re excited about how the brand will evolve over the next few years’
Brandon Stephens tells MCA the first half of 2026 has been about putting in place foundations and enablers that will ‘set the business up for long-term, sustainable growth’
-
NewsBanana Tree sees boost from new Cardiff flagship
The Big Table Group-owned South-East Asia restaurant saw its first site in Wales perfom “exceptionally well”, however the impact of cost pressures and consumer confidence resulted in a loss before tax in 2025
-
NewsWahaca moves into positive like-for-like sales
The contemporary Mexican restaurant group says its positive LFL trajectory has continued into FY26, adding that it is ‘in a great position’ to continue to drive organic growth’
-
NewsTortilla: ‘2025 was a year of progress and of difficult lessons in equal measure’
While its UK business stabilised, the fast casual Mexican restaurant group says the integration of the France-based Fresh Burritos proved ‘far more challenging’ and it is now exiting underperforming sites
-
NewsBrava acquires Riding House Café
The group says the acquisition marks a significant expansion of its hospitality portfolio and strengthens its position in the central London dining scene