Whitbread boosted by growth from Premier Inn and Costa
- Published
Whitbread says Costa Coffee is the second biggest international coffee chain
Profits at hotel and restaurant group Whitbread jumped by 43% to £151m in the six months to September.
Profit growth was helped by the fast-expansion of its hotels business, Premier Inns, and its Costa Coffee business.
Whitbread said Costa is now the second biggest coffee chain in the world.
Costa has 1,700 outlets around the world - with just over 1,100 in the UK - and plans to take the total to 1,850 by the end of the year.
Whitbread also plans to expand its Premier Inn hotel chain, and open at least 1,700 rooms in 18 hotels across the UK.
It says its advertising campaign, fronted by the comedian Lenny Henry, promoting its £29 a room offer helped to boost like-for-like sales by 10.1%.
- Published22 June 2010