Restaurant News Round Up - 4th July

Continued mixed news for the restaurant industry as we see the return of diners to the high street (with strings attached) and more notices of big players going into administration, while some smaller outlets are taking the opportunity to look for ways to expand, plus a review of the latest London opening, Ba Shan. Today's top stories:

A quarter of British consumers are tackling the recession by only visiting a restaurant if they can get money off their meal, market research has found... (read more here and here)

Third time's a charm. Or is it? Seems that Shao Wei’s third Szechuan eatery Ba Shan has inherited the two least attractive aspects of its siblings: Baozi Inn’s uncomfortable surrounds and Bar Shu’s steep prices (read more)

Healthy fast food restaurant Pod has announced it is to take advantage of low property values with expansion plans to open three new London sites this year (more here)

Coffee Republic, the London-based coffee bar operator, has become the latest victim of the recession and entered administration. (more here)