Overview
- A letter to Beefeater Reward Club members, seen by local media on Friday, says all 106 Beefeater sites will permanently close on 10 September 2026 and the loyalty scheme will end on 31 August 2026.
- Whitbread says the closures put about 3,800 jobs at risk and has opened employee consultation while stating it will seek to redeploy a significant proportion of affected staff.
- The shutdowns are part of a five‑year restructuring to save roughly £250 million by exiting standalone branded restaurants and replacing many sites with an integrated food‑and‑drink model for Premier Inn guests.
- Chief executive Dominic Paul cited large increases in employer National Insurance and business rates as major drivers of the decision, and Whitbread plans to convert many former restaurant sites into hotel rooms or smaller hotel kitchens.
- The move will reshape local high streets and loyalty customers’ options, could speed Whitbread’s push toward its target hotel capacity by 2031, and leaves closure dates for Brewers Fayre and Bar + Block still to be confirmed.