Quote of the Week - “There are several things in play that, when they come together, is like a house of cards collapsing. First, there’s the oversaturation. Byron expanded rapidly, Pizza Express kept adding, [as did] Nando’s and Zizzi. There has been huge growth in the casual dining market and there are just too many restaurants. Simultaneously, food costs, staff costs, rents and business rates have all gone up. If you’re operating 100 sites, your margins are being squeezed and squeezed. And times are tough. Even if they spend a little more when they do, people are eating out less. So there are greater costs, more competition, fewer people and, consequently, the sh*t is hitting the fan.” - Stefan Chomka, Editor, Restaurant magazine