Beefeater is a British pub-restaurant chain founded by Whitbread in 1974, with its first location, The Halfway House, opening in Enfield. The chain saw major growth in 1995 when Whitbread acquired and rebranded the rival Berni Inn chain, boosting its numbers to over 250 outlets by the late 1990s. Over the years, it faced changes, including selling many standalone sites to Mitchells & Butlers in 2006 and launching a new high-street concept called Bar + Block in Birmingham in 2016. However, the brand began its downfall in April 2024 when Whitbread announced the closure or sale of over 200 restaurants to make way for more profitable Premier Inn hotel rooms. In April 2026, Whitbread announced the closure of all 197 remaining restaurants—including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, and Bar + Block—resulting in around 3,800 job losses. The chain is scheduled to permanently close on 10 September 2026, with many sites being converted into Premier Inn hotel rooms.