Whitbread Restaurants set to review external comms

TGI Friday parent firm Whitbread Restaurants is set to review all

its external communications early in the new year.

The group - which also owns restaurant chains Brewer's Fayre, Brewsters

and Beefeater - said it is currently looking at its agency roster and

the PR requirements for its stable of brands with an outcome expected in

February.

Whitbread Restaurants head of communications Lesly Hughes said: 'We are

in the process of looking at the marketing plans for next year.

'Every year we look at PR requirements across all our brands and the

agencies we use for the new financial year, and make a decision whether

to continue retaining or put briefs out to pitch,' she adds.

The group currently uses a number of agencies, including Jackie Cooper

PR and Communique. Joe Public Relations was hired for the TGI Friday

chain in March while Leedex Euro RSCG was appointed for Brewer's Fayre

in May.

Hughes confirmed the company has been forced to take PR for the

Brewsters brand in-house following the demise of incumbent agency Kable

PR, which closed last month (PRWeek, 23 November).

She added this was a short-term arrangement and that they 'may well take

on a new PR agency', depending on the outcome of the communications

review.