Euro 2024 final: Ivy restaurants to close early while Domino’s braces for bumper weekend

Pubs will extend their opening hours on Sunday while some restaurants are closing early to let staff watch England’s clash against Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

The match is expected to deliver a £120m sales boost for pubs and bars across the country, according to UKHospitality.

Fans will also be able to benefit from extended licensing hours this Sunday, with pubs able to serve until 1am.

The majority of Richard Caring’s Ivy restaurants and all the Bill’s restaurants around the country will close at 7pm on Sunday so more than 5,000 staff can watch the final.

A spokesperson for Richard Caring said: "We are thrilled for the England team and it is a great chance for our staff, who have worked so hard through some very difficult times recently, to be able to watch the game.

“It is the first final for England outside of this country and they will now have many more voices cheering them on to what we hope will be a fantastic victory."

Domino’s said it sold more than 20 pizzas a second in its busiest hour during England’s semi-final against the Netherlands on Wednesday.

The chain is preparing for a bumper weekend and is offering customers 50% off on web and app orders from Friday through to Sunday.

Andrew Rennie, chief executive of Domino’s, said: “Much like Gareth Southgate, our store managers will be choosing their top squads for Sunday night – picking the fastest dough stretchers, most accurate pizza toppers and reliable drivers and riders.”

UKHospitality estimates that England staying in the Euros until the final means the hospitality sector is set to benefit from an £800m sales increase across the whole tournament.

The Liberal Democrats have called for a Bank Holiday if England end up as Euro 2024 winners.

Prime minister Keir Starmer made a similar call three years ago when the men’s team reached the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, but he has yet to make a commitment to mark a possible Three Lions victory.

Starmer told ITV News: “I don’t want to jinx it. I went to the last Euros final and I don’t want to go through that again so I don’t want to jinx anything.

“We must mark it in some way. The most important thing is getting over the line on Sunday."