All posts tagged: restaurants

UK restaurant chain issues major update after warning all branches could close forever | UK | News

UK restaurant chain issues major update after warning all branches could close forever | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A major UK restaurant chain has issued an update after warning all of its restaurants could close. The chain has been saved from administration following fears that all 44 sites could shut for good. Plans to rescue the Latin-American chain have been approved by a High Court judge. Iguanas Holdings Limited, currently operating dozens of Las Iguanas restaurants across the UK, previously revealed it was drowning in £37million of debt. The “heavily loss-making” company would “inevitably enter administration”, the company’s lawyers told a hearing on Friday, June 5. But they added the firm had been able to stay afloat thanks to a “turnaround strategy” by its parent company, The Big Table Group, which also owns chains including Frankie & Benny’s, Bella Italia, and Banana Tree. The restructuring plan was approved by the majority of the company’s creditors to wipe out debts and see Big Table inject £3million into the company. Representing the company, Ryan Perkins said the UK casual dining sector had suffered “substantial problems” in recent years because of high inflation, reduced customer spending, …

U.S. adds 172,000 jobs, many in restaurants, bars and hotels : NPR

U.S. adds 172,000 jobs, many in restaurants, bars and hotels : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Restaurants and bars added 48,000 jobs in May, contributing to a solid month of employment gains. Local government and healthcare were also hiring last month. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images The labor market is finding its footing. U.S. employers added jobs for the third month in a row in May, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department. Job gains for March and April were also revised significantly higher. Restaurants and bars added 48,000 jobs last month in anticipation of strong summer demand, while the overall hospitality industry added 70,000 jobs. Construction companies and local governments were also hiring. Healthcare, which has been a steady source of employment gains, added another 35,000 jobs. Banks and insurance companies, meanwhile, cut jobs. The financial sector overall cut 22,000 jobs in May. Overall, the report shows hiring has picked up steam this spring after anemic job growth last year. Over the last three months, employers have added an average of 188,000 jobs each month. Meanwhile, the workforce grew slightly in May as …

The awkward truth about chain restaurants: They’re cool again

The awkward truth about chain restaurants: They’re cool again

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Until not long ago, diners seemed to have reached a consensus. Chains were out. Independents were in. The future belonged to neighbourhood bistros, family-run restaurants, chef-owner passion projects and hidden gems that somehow managed to be both fully booked and impossible to find. We celebrated local institutions, obscure cuisines and restaurants with stories. We wanted hand-rolled pasta in converted railway arches and waiters called Luca who knew a lot about fermentation. The villains were obvious. Corporate restaurant groups. Plastic menus. Homogeneous dining rooms. “Happy Birthday” was performed by staff with all the enthusiasm of hostages reading a ransom note. Places where the food arrived suspiciously quickly and every branch looked exactly the same. And yet, here we are. Dishoom now has 11 restaurants and four drink-led Permit Rooms across the UK, with more planned, lodgings being added and New York on the horizon. Flat Iron …

The Real-Life Wardrobe of Eddie Huang, Who’s Been Watching Knicks Games With a Weighted Vest On

The Real-Life Wardrobe of Eddie Huang, Who’s Been Watching Knicks Games With a Weighted Vest On

Published by Jenni Sidey

Eddie Huang is many things: author, chef, restaurateur, filmmaker, media personality. The list goes on, and Huang wouldn’t have it any other way. Born in Virginia to Taiwanese-Chinese parents, Huang opened his first restaurant, Baohaus, a cult-favorite Taiwanese bun shop, on New York City’s Lower East Side in 2009, later moving the shop to the East Village, where it remained until its pandemic-era closure in October 2020. Between then and now, Huang published two books, directed two films, and got married and started a family. Nowadays, he’s got plenty more on his plate: a Substack, a podcast (which he co-hosts with his wife, Natashia Perrotti), and his first novel, Come Undone, which hits shelves on June 16. He’s currently (superstitiously) rooting on his beloved New York Knicks in the finals. Oh, and just reopened Baohaus this past March, which is where he and I met up in late May. Huang didn’t expect to bring the restaurant back, but when he received a call—over the speakerphone in his car—from his trademark attorney asking him if he …

Four L.A. restaurants recognized on World’s 50 Best North America list

Four L.A. restaurants recognized on World’s 50 Best North America list

Published by Sam Flores

The 50 Best brand, known for its set of prestigious global dining guides curated by over 1,000 culinary experts, just revealed its top 50 restaurants in North America, with nine California picks and four Los Angeles restaurants. The results were announced at an awards ceremony in New Orleans on Thursday night, with 50 restaurants ranked across the U.S. and Canada. Returning Los Angeles restaurants on the list include Holbox, Kato and Providence, as well as Atelier Crenn, Saison and Benu in San Francisco. New additions include Somni in West Hollywood, Addison by William Bradley in San Diego, and Sons and Daughters in San Francisco. Addison is featured on restaurant critic Bill Addison’s guide to the 101 best restaurants in California list, as well as Benu and Atelier Crenn. Somni, originally a collaboration between chefs José Andrés and Aitor Zabala, is praised for its intimate dining experience and Spanish-influenced tasting menu, earning a place on The Times’ most recent 101 Best Restaurants guide. Zabala reopened the restaurant as the sole proprietor in December 2024 after four …

North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 full list announced with Chicago restaurant at No 1

North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 full list announced with Chicago restaurant at No 1

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Leading chefs and culinary figures from across the United States and Canada gathered in New Orleans on Thursday for the unveiling of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026. The influential annual ranking — part of the expanded 50 Best ecosystem that now includes continental lists alongside its flagship global awards — is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in the restaurant world, alongside the Michelin Guide. The ceremony at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel honored the second edition of the North America list, along with several special award winners. This year, three-Michelin-starred Smyth in Chicago — led by husband-and-wife chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields — was named the top restaurant on the continent. Rising from the number four spot in the inaugural 2025 rankings, the minimalist, open-kitchen restaurant was celebrated for its hyper-seasonal, deeply personal approach to fine dining, which …

‘Grandpa groomed and sexually abused me under the table at restaurants from the age of five’

‘Grandpa groomed and sexually abused me under the table at restaurants from the age of five’

Published by Sam Flores

A woman who was sexually abused “at least weekly” by her own grandfather from the age of five said he called it “tickling”, and over three years of abuse he “got braver” before progressing to “doing it in public under the table in restaurants”. Aimee Tomlin, now 30, who works in insurance and lives in Farnham in Surrey, said her paternal grandfather, Roger Colgate – formerly of Percy Place, Datchet in Windsor – made her feel like they had a “special bond” by taking her out on fairground rides, picnics and even making her a scrapbook. She said he would “come over for fish and chips every Friday” and put her “to bed”, before the abuse progressed to doing it in public and “when other cousins were around”. Aimee was eight years old in 2003 when another survivor – who wishes to remain anonymous – disclosed abuse by Roger from over 30 years earlier. Aimee said she was abused ‘at least weekly’ (Collect/PA Real Life) Aimee said this prompted her mother to ask her if …

A Texas restaurant’s inflation response? Diners pick the prices : NPR

A Texas restaurant’s inflation response? Diners pick the prices : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

A bartender pours a drink at L’Oca d’Oro, an Italian restaurant in Austin, Texas, that offers a weekly promotion where guests can pay what they want. Sergio Flores for NPR hide caption toggle caption Sergio Flores for NPR Grocery prices got you down? Learn how to cut your food bill with NPR’s 4-part newsletter. Sign up here for budgeting tips, meal planning and more. Zayed Al-Hamad’s party of four is ready to order. The table plans to share the rosemary sourdough focaccia, fresh mozzarella, polpette, rigatoni alla n’duja and smoked olive carbonara spaghetti. The bill for all that food? It doesn’t really matter, because tonight restaurantgoers can pay whatever they want at L’Oca d’Oro in Austin, Texas. “My family in general, we don’t always have the most money to spend. So we don’t always get to go to somewhere nice when they come over,” Al-Hamad said on a Tuesday evening in February. “But I figured this is an opportunity to actually experience something a little better without having to shell out $150 for the four of us.” …

Hooters restaurants are set to undergo a rebrand to a ‘neighborhood place’ for families

Hooters restaurants are set to undergo a rebrand to a ‘neighborhood place’ for families

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Hooters is turning over a new wing, aiming to trade its spicy image for a more family-friendly “neighborhood” flavor. The restaurant, famous for its female servers and their revealing uniforms, is rebranding back to its original concept, which CEO Neil Kiefer described as “a beach-themed place centered around the Hooters Girls, good food, [and being an] easy place to relax.” “It’s a neighborhood place that many families frequent, and singles and couples,” Kiefer told People. Kiefer, 74, has been involved with Hooters since its early days, beginning in 1983 when he joined the company as its attorney. He later became CEO in 1992, taking on a leadership role during a period of expansion for the chain. He said that in the early 80s, Hooters …

10 Sneaky Ways Restaurants Secretly Make People Overeat

10 Sneaky Ways Restaurants Secretly Make People Overeat

Published by Jenni Sidey

Unfortunately, there are many sneaky ways restaurants secretly make people overeat. And though some establishments tout providing high-quality foods, the dietary quality of restaurant meals is much lower compared to food cooked at home, creating potential problems. So, before you eat a meal outside of your home, remember that things aren’t always as they seem. Here are the sneaky ways restaurants often make people overeat: 1. Bottomless drinks and refills antonioodiaz | Shutterstock While it may seem like free refills are a great perk, with the cost of living rising, having anything free nowadays is a rarity in itself. However, while free refills on drinks don’t sound problematic, they can pose an issue when it comes to consumption.  A study published in Psychological Science found that free refills actually increased consumption in customers, particularly when a waiter offered to serve that refill. Of course, this issue can be made better or worse depending on the size of the cup, but free refills are a slippery slope of overconsumption without people even realizing it.  RELATED: 13 …