Here’s a fun fact: Whitbread started as a brewery in 1742. That’s before the United States even existed. They’ve been serving beer for almost 300 years.
They also used to own Costa Coffee. You know, that chain with the little red cups. They sold it to Coca-Cola in 2019 for a staggering £3.9 billion. That’s a lot of lattes.
Now they’re focusing on hotels—specifically Premier Inn. Because apparently, sleep is more profitable than sausages.
The Nonsense Of Timing
This news dropped right before the holidays. Nothing says Christmas cheer like “Your local Toby Carvery is toast.” Literally, toast—and roast potatoes—will be gone.
Whitbread says they’re closing around 126 restaurants. That’s a lot of empty chairs where your uncle once complained about the gravy. And roughly 1,500 jobs will vanish overnight.
But here’s the twist: the company is not going bankrupt. They’re actually doing fine. They just want to be leaner, meaner, and less interested in feeding you overpriced nachos.
Whitbread aims for quick sale of sites to fellow operator
