Taybarns

Taybarns was a British buffet restaurant brand operated by Whitbread. It was positioned as a low-cost, family-oriented, all-you-can-eat dining concept, with a service model influenced by the American Golden Corral chain. Customers paid when they arrived and could select as much food as they wanted from a large self-service buffet. The restaurants used a 34-metre-long food counter as a prominent operational and visual feature. Pricing varied by time and calendar period: lunch was generally cheaper than the evening service, while weekends and bank holidays carried a modest premium. The concept formed part of Whitbread's broader restaurant portfolio, which also included Brewers Fayre. In October 2009, the company publicly discussed an ambitious expansion plan. Martin Howe, identified in contemporary reporting as the brand's chief executive, said that some Brewers Fayre pubs could be converted to Taybarns restaurants and that as many as thirty new locations might be opened in the following year. The proposed expansion reflected an attempt to establish the buffet format more widely in the United Kingdom. That expansion did not occur at the planned scale. The cost of the extensive refurbishments required to convert sites was cited as a major obstacle, and Taybarns ultimately remained a small chain. Its known estate consisted of seven restaurants located in Barnsley, Coventry, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gateshead, South Shields, Swansea, and Wigan. The brand therefore operated as a limited national restaurant format rather than becoming a large network. In March 2016, Whitbread announced that a strategic corporate review had resulted in a decision to close all Taybarns restaurants and convert the sites to Brewers Fayre pub restaurants. The conversions returned the locations to another Whitbread format instead of eliminating them from the group's restaurant estate altogether. The final Taybarns site, in South Shields, closed on 13 September 2016. After that closure, Taybarns ceased trading and became defunct. The brand's short history illustrates both the appeal and the operational challenges of scaling a large-format buffet concept, particularly where substantial site refurbishment and ongoing food-service costs were involved.

Taybarns was created by Whitbread as a British low-cost buffet restaurant concept. The brand was modelled on the American Golden Corral format and centred on an all-you-can-eat proposition. Rather than ordering individual dishes in the conventional manner, customers paid on arrival and served themselves from an extensive buffet. A 34-metre-long food counter was a defining feature of the restaurants and supported the brand's emphasis on breadth of choice and high-volume service. The pricing structure followed the basic pattern of many buffet operators. Lunch service was offered at a lower price than evening service, while weekends and bank holidays attracted a somewhat higher charge. This approach allowed the brand to target value-conscious families and other customers seeking predictable pricing and a wide selection of food. The format was designed for casual dining rather than premium restaurant occasions. In October 2009, Taybarns publicised plans for rapid growth. Martin Howe, described as the brand's chief executive, said that selected Brewers Fayre pubs could be converted to the Taybarns format and that the company hoped to open up to thirty new restaurants in the following year. The proposal would have used Whitbread's existing property base to accelerate development and give the concept a wider national presence. The expansion did not proceed as intended. The cost of the extensive refurbishments needed for conversions made the plan difficult to execute, and no new restaurants were opened under the proposed programme. Taybarns remained a relatively small chain, with seven identified restaurants in Barnsley, Coventry, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gateshead, South Shields, Swansea, and Wigan. Whitbread later reassessed the role of the brand within its restaurant portfolio. In March 2016, the company announced that a strategic corporate review had led to the decision to close every Taybarns restaurant and convert the sites to Brewers Fayre pub restaurants. The decision preserved the use of the sites within Whitbread's wider restaurant business but ended the Taybarns format. The final location, at South Shields, closed on 13 September 2016. With that closure, Taybarns ceased operations and became defunct.

• 2016

  Closure and conversion decision

  [1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  Whitbread announced that all Taybarns restaurants would close and be converted into Brewers Fayre pub restaurants after a strategic review.

• 2016

  Final restaurant closes

  [1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  The South Shields site closed on 13 September, ending the Taybarns business.

• 2009

  Expansion strategy publicised

  [1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  Taybarns announced plans to grow through possible Brewers Fayre conversions and as many as thirty new restaurants, although the programme was not delivered because of refurbishment costs.

Low-cost, family-oriented, all-you-can-eat casual dining with buffet choice and time-based pricing.

• Restaurant dining format

  Taybarns all-you-can-eat buffet

  The core Taybarns offering was a self-service, all-you-can-eat buffet. Customers paid on arrival and could return to the buffet as often as they wished during their meal. Food was presented on a 34-metre-long counter, making selection and variety central to the customer experience. Prices differed between lunch and evening periods, with additional variation for weekends and bank holidays.

• 2016

  Discontinuation of the Taybarns formatStrategy

  Background

  Whitbread conducted a strategic corporate review of the brand and its restaurant estate.

  Action taken

  Whitbread decided to close all seven Taybarns restaurants and convert the sites to Brewers Fayre pub restaurants.

  Aftermath

  The South Shields location closed on 13 September 2016, after which Taybarns became defunct.

  Source

• 2009

  Proposed rapid expansion through site conversionsStrategy

  Background

  Whitbread sought to extend the Taybarns format by converting some Brewers Fayre pubs and opening as many as thirty additional restaurants.

  Action taken

  The company publicised the expansion plan through comments attributed to chief executive Martin Howe.

  Aftermath

  The planned growth did not materialise because the refurbishment costs associated with the conversions were too high.

  Source

• 2016

  Whitbread announces closure and conversion of all Taybarns restaurants[1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Following a strategic corporate review, Whitbread announced that all seven Taybarns restaurants would close and be converted to Brewers Fayre pub restaurants.

• 2016

  South Shields closure ends Taybarns operations[1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The South Shields restaurant closed on 13 September 2016, making Taybarns a defunct restaurant brand.

• 2009

  Taybarns expansion plans announced[1]Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Whitbread publicly outlined plans to expand the Taybarns format, including possible conversions of some Brewers Fayre sites and the opening of up to thirty additional restaurants.

1. 1Taybarnsen.wikipedia.org