Key facts
- Queensway Hospitality Group has acquired 53 branded restaurant sites from Whitbread.
- The acquired sites include Beefeater and Brewers Fayre locations.
- Queensway Hospitality Group intends to operate the sites as going concerns.
- Around 900 team members could transfer to Queensway Inns.
- Whitbread is exiting its branded restaurant operations to focus on Premier Inn and its German expansion.
Former senior managers at Whitbread have led a deal to acquire nearly 60 Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants from the company. Queensway Hospitality Group, led by Kamran Aziz, has agreed to purchase 53 of these sites, with plans to rebrand them into a new chain of value-led pubs.
This acquisition is part of Whitbread's strategic shift to exit its branded restaurant operations and concentrate on its Premier Inn hotel business and expansion in Germany. Whitbread aims to convert remaining restaurants into hotel rooms or integrated food and beverage offerings within hotels. The company has been scaling back its pub restaurant division since 2024 as part of its 'Accelerating Growth Plan'.
Whitbread's preliminary financial results for the 52 weeks to February 26, 2026, showed flat statutory revenue of £2,920 million, with adjusted EBITDAR increasing to £1,074 million. The company is reallocating capital to drive improved margins and stronger UK returns, with a goal of 15%-20% returns on capital by FY31. The sale of these sites is expected to result in the transfer of around 900 team members to Queensway Inns, subject to final conditions being met.