Two Beefeater restaurants serving customers in and around Luton will close to the public next month as owner Whitbread prepares to pull the plug on the restaurant brand across the UK after more than half a century in business.
The Brache on Osborne Road and the Halfway House on Luton Road on the border of Luton and Dunstable are among 106 Beefeater restaurants which will have their final day of public trading on Thursday 10 September.
Beefeater has now emailed customers to confirm the date, bringing an end 52 years of the restaurant brand.
The Dunstable-based company yesterday said: “As a final reminder, all Beefeater restaurants will close after dinner on Thursday 10 September 2026.”
The closures are part of a major change in strategy by Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn. The company announced in April that it intends to become a “pure-play hotel business” focused on Premier Inn and will exit all of its remaining branded restaurants, including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre.
Whitbread said the move would involve converting some restaurants into around 600 additional Premier Inn bedrooms, with the remainder expected to be sold as going concerns.
It also said the changes are expected to result in a reduction of around 3,800 roles from its UK and Ireland workforce of approximately 30,000.
The company said in April: “We recognise the impact of this proposal on colleagues who work at the affected sites.
“As a business which recruits around 15,000 people every year, we expect to be able to retain a significant proportion of those affected and will be looking to redeploy as many of our impacted colleagues as possible.”
They anticipate that the changes will result in a reduction of around 3,800 roles of a total UK and Ireland workforce of around 30,000 and added: “We will do all we can to support those colleagues affected.”
It means the closure of the two local restaurants does not necessarily mean the end of food and drink at either Premier Inn site.
Whitbread has said its new approach will see branded restaurants replaced by an integrated food and drink offer within its hotels.
Beefeater’s current information for the Halfway House confirms that Premier Inn guests will continue to have access to breakfast, evening meals and drinks after the public restaurant closes.
The company says the new format has already proved popular with guests following its previous programme of converting more than 200 branded restaurants into additional hotel rooms and creating an integrated restaurant within each hotel.
Whitbread said the proposal would allow that format to be rolled out to all hotels where a branded restaurant currently operates.
The precise future of the two buildings, has not been confirmed.
The Brache did have planning permission granted in March 2016 for an extension providing 39 additional bedrooms and the hotel is now listed as having 173 rooms.
At The Halfway House, Whitbread has confirmed that food and drink will continue to be available to hotel guests after the Beefeater brand disappears, but it will no longer operate as a Beefeater open to the general public after 10 September.
For customers staying at Premier Inns, Whitbread insists that food and drink will remain part of the experience.
Beefeater’s final customer message said: “The Premier Inn experience will continue to include food and drink. Breakfast, evening meals and drinks will be available at the hotel, the restaurant next door or other restaurants in the local area.
It added: “As we close this chapter, we do so with sincere appreciation and many fond memories.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your loyalty and support over the years. It has truly been our privilege at Beefeater to serve you.”
The Beefeater Rewards Club is also due to close on Monday 31 August, ahead of the restaurants’ final day of trading.
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