"Welcome return" for Bar + Block in Whiteley expected after shock shutdown of the restaurant chain
The site is among more than 100 former Whitbread sites set to reopen under new ownership
A councillor has welcomed the imminent return of a popular restaurant just weeks after its shock closure.
Bar + Block in Whiteley Shopping Centre is among more than 100 former Whitbread sites set to reopen under new ownership, giving the steakhouse a second chance after it closed in September.
The restaurant and bar closed as part of a nationwide shake-up by Whitbread, which also saw dozens of Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Cookhouse + Pub venues shut their doors.
Now, hospitality firms Queensway Inn and Common Table Group have bought a combined 110 former Whitbread sites, giving many of the restaurants a new lease of life. The companies have announced plans to reopen the venues as quickly as possible, with the first sites expected to begin trading again from mid-November.
The move is expected to create more than 700 jobs across the portfolio.
Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, Liberal Democrat for Whiteley and Shedfield on Winchester City Council, said he was delighted by the news.
He said: “That’s wonderful news. I am really glad to hear Bar + Block is reopening in Whiteley.
“It’s great to have more dining options in the area.”
The reopening marks a dramatic turnaround from the summer, when the future of the restaurant appeared uncertain following Whitbread’s decision to close dozens of venues across the UK.
At the time, Cllr Achwal described the closure as a loss for Whiteley, saying the restaurant was a favourite for diners since opening.
He said in August: “It is a shame that Bar + Block is closing; the restaurant has been in Whiteley Shopping Centre for a few years.
“It has been a popular place in Whiteley, and I am sorry to see it close.”
The latest announcement means the venue will avoid remaining vacant and will instead return as part of the new operators’ expansion plans.
While a reopening date for the Whiteley site has not yet been confirmed, it is among the locations earmarked to reopen soon following the takeover. However the Bar + Block site in Portsmouth is not on the list of 100 venues which are expected to reopen.
The Bar + Block chain first opened across the UK in 2016.