Closure fear hangs over Brewers Fayre restaurant in Fife in major restructure
The future of a long-established Brewers Fayre restaurant in Fife is in doubt after a major restructuring plan was unveiled by its parent company.
Bankhead Gate in Gl enrothes could close and be turned into a guest only dining room for people staying at the adjacent Premier Inn.
The UK-widen shake-up by owners, Whitbread PLC. will also see some of its restaurants converted with extra hotel rooms added, and others closed. Its plans are currently subject to consultation with employees. The change affects its Brewers Fayre and Beefeater chains and could see some 3800 jobs axed.
Bankhead Gate has been part of the landscape for many years and is used as a meeting place for a number of local groups as well as visitors and people staying at the hotel. It is one of 197 venues now facing an uncertain future.
Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread PLC, said: “We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we’ve looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term.
“This has been a rigorous process and we’ve approached all options with an open mind. Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy. This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.
“We’re going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders`