More than 100 former pub and restaurant sites are set to reopen under new ownership - with one recently reopening in Stourbridge.
The venues, previously owned by Whitbread and operating under brands such as Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, were among 261 sites closed last month as part of the company’s wider restructuring plan.
Many of these locations have now been acquired by Queensway Inns and Common Table Group, who have announced plans to relaunch them in the coming months.
Queensway Inns has taken over 53 sites, including the former Brewers Fayre restaurant in Stourbridge, and intends to reopen them as "value pubs," while Common Table Group has acquired 57 sites, along with one Premier Inn hotel.
Thomas Anderson, founder of Common Table Group, said: "We’re building an entrepreneurial business with a local feel, where our teams are empowered to make decisions and shape each venue around the people and communities it serves."
He confirmed that the sites would continue operating as restaurants, offering all-day food and drink menus for both hotel guests and visitors.
The new venues will also feature a coffee concept from Mr Anderson’s London-based doughnut brand, Rodeo Doughnuts.
The company’s website describes the new format as "an all-day restaurant and barista-style coffee bar. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or something in between, there’s always a seat at our table."
Common Table Group aims to have the first sites open by mid-November and plans to reopen all 57 locations "as soon as possible."
The reopening of these venues is expected to create more than 700 jobs.
Queensway Inns estimates that more than 900 team members could be transferred into new roles as part of its reopening plans.
The closures came as part of Whitbread’s five-year growth strategy, which aims to deliver £250 million in cost savings and transform the business into a "pure-play hotel company."
The company plans to convert some former restaurant sites into additional Premier Inn rooms and expects to raise around £1.5 billion from the sale of freehold properties.
Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread, 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."
A number of sites across the UK have been confirmed as reopening under the new ownership, but the full list has now been revealed.
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