All Bar One and Toby Carvery owner to close pubs and restaurants across the UK

The owner of All Bar One and Toby Carvery is to close up to 20 of its pubs and restaurants across the UK.

Mitchells & Butlers is currently working with advisers at CBRE to offload a number of leasehold sites, but has not not confirmed how many jobs would be affected by the closures.

Fall in sales

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The closures come following a slump in sales this year, after the hospitality sector has faced months of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions which have impacted the ability to trade.

"As announced in September, M&B re-opened the vast majority of its estate, approximately 95 per cent, after the first lockdown ended,” read a statement.

"The remaining sites have been under review on a case-by-case basis since, taking into account factors such as expected footfall and business layout.

"We have taken the difficult decision not to reopen some of these sites and are working with leaseholders on next steps."

‘Significant difficulties’

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In October, the outfit, which also runs the Harvester and Miller & Carter restaurant chains, began redundancy consultations with staff.

Mitchells & Butlers said it was facing “significant difficulties” following the recent tightening of restrictions, with England now in its second national lockdown, but has not yet disclosed how many jobs would be impacted by the cuts.

The company previously announced sales had dropped by 35 per cent since the start of the year up to 19 September, while like for like sales also fell by six per cent in the first three weeks of September.

It described the future as both “challenging and uncertain” in the face of further lockdown restrictions, limiting how and when its sites can operate.

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