Overview
- Common Table Group agreed the purchase on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, acquiring 57 former Whitbread restaurant sites and one Premier Inn hotel in a deal for an undisclosed sum.
- The buyer, founded by Thomas Anderson, said it will begin reopening sites from next month after refurbishments, roll out refreshed menus, supply Rodeo barista coffee and create about 700 jobs.
- The transaction was supported operationally by Rove360, a consultancy staffed by former Whitbread managers that previously helped deliver roughly £150 million in labour savings.
- Whitbread closed the standalone Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Cookhouse chains as part of an April turnaround plan to cut around £2 billion in costs and refocus on its Premier Inn hotels.
- Investor pressure from Corvex Asset Management has intensified scrutiny of Whitbread's strategy, and the sale gives the restaurants a chance to reopen under a locally run, entrepreneurial model that could affect jobs and high‑street hospitality in the communities they serve.