OpenTable launches AI concierge, but do we really need a bot to book dinner? September 23, 2025 OpenTable has launched Concierge, its new generative AI assistant, or ‘agent,’ designed to give diners instant insights across more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide. From menu details and dietary options to opening hours, the assistant aims to streamline the often frustrating process of restaurant research. But in an era of sweeping automation, is AI really the solution [...]
Raising Cane’s: Billionaire’s KFC rival and TikTok sensation to open in the UK September 4, 2025 Raising Cane’s, the US fast food giant which has become a sensation on TikTok, has confirmed plans to open its first UK location next year. The business is to launch its flagship site at 21-22 Coventry St in London’s West End towards the end of 2026. An exact opening date has yet to be announced. [...]
Hospitality bosses join Tories in opposition to Labour government September 3, 2025 Hospitality bosses have joined the Conservatives in condemning the Labour government for introducing higher taxes on businesses, rolling out red tape on employment and excluding the sector from growth strategies. Managers at pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK have warned that the government’s taxes and regulations risk devastating the important sector. Now the Conservatives [...]
Zoe Hamburger leaves McDonald’s UK&I as successor named September 2, 2025 After 18 months of maybe the UK’s best case of nominative determinism, Zoe Hamburger has stepped down from her senior role at the UK arm of McDonald’s. Hamburger joined the McDonald’s UK senior leadership team as chief restaurant officer in March 2024. In that role she was responsible for the operational restaurant business, including delivery, [...]
KFC and Pizza Hut help serve up huge profit for owner August 12, 2025 Huge dividends from KFC and Pizza Hut helped their owner Yum! Brands more than triple its profit last year, it has been revealed. The group’s European division has posted a pre-tax profit of $1.2bn (£892.7m) for 2024, up significantly from the $317.1m (£235.8m) it posted for 2023. The firm, Yum! Restaurant Holdings, is a holding [...]
Deliveroo: Earnings shoot up ahead of Doordash acquisition August 7, 2025 Deliveroo has announced a boost to its earnings driven by a ‘more resilient than expected’ consumer, although profit has taken a hit ahead of its acquisition by American delivery giant Doordash. Revenue rose nine per cent in the six months ended June 30, with orders up eight per cent, Deliveroo told markets this morning. Order [...]
Dishoom served huge valuation after founders sell stake August 4, 2025 Dishoom has been valued in the region of £300m after striking an investment deal with a firm backed by LVMH. The restaurant chain has agreed a deal for an undisclosed sum with US-based L Catterton in a move which will see founders Shamil Thakrar and Kavi Thakrar dilute their stakes. Both co-founders are expected to [...]
McDonald’s sheds 2,000 UK jobs as profit almost doubles August 4, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of McDonald’s almost doubled in 2024 as it shed more than 2,000 jobs, it has been revealed. The US fast food giant has posted a pre-tax profit of £120m for its latest financial year, up from the £66.3m it reported in 2023. That figure though was down from the £170.8m [...]
Inside The National Gallery’s intriguing new restaurant with food inspired by Caravaggio July 31, 2025 With multiple London restaurants opening every week, it’s a food writer’s dream when one comes along and offers something different. Locatelli, the new opening within The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, did just that when an invite popped into my inbox. The menu, says the press release, is “reflective of the restaurant’s surroundings.” Interesting! I [...]
Best pizza in London 2025: Top 9 pizzerias to try and new openings this summer July 29, 2025 The stakes are higher than ever, with so many new openings this summer. If you’re keen on the classic Italian dish, here are the 9 places to get the best pizza in London “No one orders a burger when they go through a break up”: the words of Pizza Pilgrims founders Thom and James Elliot [...]