logo
Beloved Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes All Locations: 'It's a Wrap'

Beloved Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes All Locations: 'It's a Wrap'

Yahoo6 hours ago
A beloved dim sum restaurant chain has closed all locations.
The chain was well-liked in the United Kingdom.
The Ping Pong restaurant chain announced the news on its Instagram page on July 2.
"It's a wrap, 🥟" the post says. "After 20 unforgettable years, all Ping Pong locations are now permanently closed. We're incredibly proud of what we built, an independent hospitality brand full of creativity, flavour, and soul.""To everyone who joined us over the years, for dim sum dates, happy hours, bottomless brunches, and just-because catch-ups — thank you," the company added. "You shared your moments with us, passed around little parcels of deliciousness, and helped make Ping Pong what it was."
The post concluded: "To our collaborators, suppliers, and the incredible team who kept the steam going, thank you. It's been sum-thing truly special."
People expressed disappointment on the Instagram comment thread.
"Omgggggggggg nooooooooooo!!!!!!!! If I knew I'd have made one last trip. So sad," wrote one person.
"This is incredibly sad news! Wish we'd have known. Would've loved to visit it one last time 😢," wrote another person.
"Ah this is gutting! So sorry to hear of this. I loved having options as someone who is both gluten free and dairy free. I wish you all the best in the future 💔😢🫶," another wrote.
The chain was "founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar," Birmingham Live reported.
That publication labeled the closure "sudden" and the chain "major" and a "high street staple."
The chain had four locations in London, including one in Soho.
According to Metro UK, the chain once had 20 locations but was hit hard by the pandemic.
Metro's Patrycja Zaras said in that publication's article: 'I'm genuinely heartbroken, I absolutely loved this place. I used to take all my friends and family there and over time it became the backdrop for so many memories. Ever since a colleague casually introduced me to it on a lunch break, I kept coming back."Beloved Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes All Locations: 'It's a Wrap' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 5, 2025
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This Fourth Of July Weekend, Sir Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 Continues To Drive Change At F1
This Fourth Of July Weekend, Sir Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 Continues To Drive Change At F1

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

This Fourth Of July Weekend, Sir Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 Continues To Drive Change At F1

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari is interviewed ... More during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 03, 2025 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) This Fourth of July weekend, as Americans celebrate Independence Day, across the pond at the F1 British Grand Prix, Sir Lewis Hamilton's foundation, Mission 44, is taking the time to celebrate change. More specifically, lives changed. With the growing momentum of F1 internationally, an estimated 480,000 international and local motorsport fans will attend the four-day Grand Prix at Silverstone, 70 miles outside of London. Yet there's a different kind of momentum building off the track. At the heart of this shift is Sir Lewis Hamilton, the legendary seven-time F1 World Champion, whose Mission 44 foundation is fueling access, equity and opportunity for underrepresented youth across the globe through giving back. And it may just be this work off the track that redefines his legacy and what it means to be a global icon. NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes celebrates ... More on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 07, 2024 in Northampton, England. (Photo by) A Vision For Change Hamilton's journey from being born and raised in Stevenage, a quiet English town north of London, to the global stage of Formula 1 is a testament to resilience, talent and opportunity. But for many young people, breaking social and economic barriers are insurmountable, even when the talent is there. That is where this story begins. Founded in 2021, Mission44 was born out of a moment of social reckoning and recognition that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Black Lives Matter had catalyzed conversations worldwide, and instead of leveraging protests and politics, Hamilton chose purpose. 'Beyond my achievements on track, the most important thing for me is to know I played my part in building a fairer, more equitable world,' Hamilton stated in their latest annual report. And his commitment wasn't symbolic—it was structural. Seeding the charity with £20 million of his own money, Hamilton began constructing a blueprint for systemic change, tackling barriers in education, employment and social mobility. The charity's mission is to support and champion young people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring they have the tools and resources to succeed—from funding scholarships to creating mentorship programs that address the systemic inequities that hold so many back. Four years later, over 350,000 young people have been touched globally, with over 40 organizations receiving support or grants. And this is well beyond the U.K. Mission44's global footprint now includes activations in Brazil, across the United States, and throughout Italy, targeting three vital sectors: inclusive education, access to STEM and motorsport careers and youth empowerment. NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 4: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari walks in the paddock ... More during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by) Silverstone as a Platform for Purpose Behind the roar of engines, smell of burning rubber, and electric (albeit somewhat wet) atmosphere of the 2025 British Grand Prix, Mission44 was working behind the scenes, through a series of events and activations designed and set up to engage fans, raise awareness and drive change off the track. Each of Us Has A Role To Play Despite the current political atmosphere, the business case for inclusion remains strong. Studies consistently show that diverse teams outperform their homogeneous counterparts, driving innovation and improving financial performance. Pew Research found that 86% of workers have a neutral-to-favorable opinion about increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Companies that abandon these efforts risk alienating employees, customers and stakeholders who value representation and fairness. Which is why foundations like Mission44, and leaders like Sir Lewis Hamilton, are more important than ever. Those to whom much is given have an opportunity to continue to push and drive change toward a world in which the power of giving back can be transformative, on both large and small levels. So, during a weekend in which many Americans celebrate independence and freedom, let's also take time celebrate the individuals and organizations working to ensure those ideals of freedom and opportunity are accessible to all. We all have a part to play—and with leaders like Sir Lewis Hamilton at the helm, the race for equity is just as important as the race for the checkered flag.

Stars of two of Britain's biggest comedies to appear in Fareham panto
Stars of two of Britain's biggest comedies to appear in Fareham panto

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Stars of two of Britain's biggest comedies to appear in Fareham panto

The stars of two of TV's most beloved comedies are to star in panto in Hampshire this Christmas. Sue Holderness, of Only Fools and Horses fame, and Tyger Drew-Honey, who appeared in Outnumbered, have joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast at Fareham Live. Best known for her role as Marlene in the classic British sitcom and its spin off, Sue Holderness will delight audiences as the delightfully wicked Marlene the Malevolent, while TV favourite Tyger Drew-Honey, who played Jake Brockman in the BBC comedy, takes on the role of the vain and villainous Gaston. (Image: Fareham Live)READ MORE: Love Island star promises audiences 'a thrilling night out' in Southampton They appear alongside the previously announced Paul Burling, Britain's Got Talent finalist and master impressionist, back by popular demand, who returns to the stage as the hilarious French Frank. This magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast, produced by the award-winning Imagine Theatre, promises enchanting storytelling, side-splitting comedy, dazzling costumes, and spectacular song and dance numbers. (Image: Fareham Live) When an arrogant Prince is cursed to live as a beast, his only hope of salvation is to find love before the last petal falls from a magic rose. Could Beauty be the person he has been waiting for? The production will run from December 12 to January 4. Tickets from

Lana Del Rey at Wembley review: her voice is enthralling but the night is uneven
Lana Del Rey at Wembley review: her voice is enthralling but the night is uneven

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Lana Del Rey at Wembley review: her voice is enthralling but the night is uneven

It's gone nine o'clock in Wembley Stadium and there is no sign of Lana Del Rey. True to form, the American singer is fashionably late to her own show — that London noise curfew be damned. Staff entertain the crowd by setting off Mexican waves. Nobody seems to mind that much. All the criticisms from her earlier shows hold true. This is not a multi-hour marathon a la Taylor or Beyoncé. Instead, there's a casual 90-hour run time with multiple breaks for dancers to perform dream ballets to an eerie hologram of Del Rey. One is a cover for a (barely noticeable) costume change, the other seemingly just because. Only 12 or so of her own songs are sung live; the rest are recordings or covers. But when she sings there is something alchemical, like she's pulling it from another dimension. Some lines do tail away, Del Rey staring with that blank-eyed look she has perfected. But this is all part of her Fifties-housewife-on-Quaaludes shtick. Then she turns around and has fun with it, embellishing her most famous lines with ease. She appears to have wisely dissolved her lip fillers, allowing for every pout, snarl and lip quiver to deliver on the jumbotron. Although compact, the set list has some excellent runs. Chemtrails Over The Country Club is followed by Ultraviolence, at which point the stage breaks out in blood-red strobing. Ride and then Video Games. Young and Beautiful, Summertime Sadness and Born to Die come in a flurry, followed by — in a fabulous surprise — Venice Bitch. As Del Rey herself pointed out, she hasn't sung that one live for years. The covers are all excellent choices, thematically on point and showcasing Del Rey's ability to make a song entirely her own. Her version of Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man is goosebump-raising. Addison Rae, who was a delight as the opening act, joins Del Rey on stage towards the end for a rendition of her hit Diet Pepsi. As for the staging, it's... a lot. Maybe it could best be described as a Southern Gothic twist on Miss Havisham. Del Rey enters through the front door of a peeling blue clapboard house, draping herself around a rickety porch in a yellowed lace dress. Dancers haunt the swampy stage in white dresses like an Americana Gisele. Del Rey - dressed in custom Valentino, designed by Creative Director Alessandro Michele - sits on a swing as though Fragonard painted her in Florida. There's a bridal prosession where flowers pop out of the stage in sync with Del Rey's steps, leading to a rose arch on a scissor lift. Every image is beautiful and strange, like a moodboard left out to get mildewed and stained. But often the staging felt over-busy, with Del Rey lost in the maelstrom. Did we really need the pole dancers shimmying up old-fashioned street lights, fans and feathers whirling and twirling, a piano that rose from the podium just to drip water. Her repertoire's themes of self-destructive love can stand alone. It doesn't need to be underscored to literally by setting fire to the house while singing about setting a house on fire. Unfortunately, the spectacle can feel like a cover for Del Rey's laconic performing style. It feels churlish to compare Del Rey to the other women artists currently tour. Perhaps seeing Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo alone in the past month has blown my tastebuds out for pop extravaganzas and feats of physical and emotional exertion. Del Rey's voice is so wondrous, her every micro expression so enthralling, that she could have performed alone on stage in a single spotlight and it would have been enough. But then, could they have charged so much for tickets? Lana Del Rey at Wembley Stadium, 4 July, tickets and infomation here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store