Major family favourite chain with 135 locations to shut ‘wonderful’ branch in the summer as it confirms closure
A MAJOR family favourite chain with 135 branches is set to shut a “wonderful” location this summer.
The Italian eatery devastated customers when it confirmed the closure in a statement.
Phil-Boyd, Operations Director for Zizzi Kenilworth said: “Zizzi Kenilworth will be closing its doors this summer.
“We have enjoyed our time in Kenilworth getting to know the locals and sharing good times over delicious food.
“All our wonderful staff from the Kenilworth restaurant will be offered positions at our neighbouring restaurants and we fully aim to retain all of our team to other restaurants within the Zizzi group.
“We welcome customers from Kenilworth and the surrounding local areas to come and find us closeby in Leamington Spa or Coventry.”
Following the announcement locals flocked to the comments section of a Facebook post relaying the news.
One person wrote: “Well another great restaurant leaves”, and someone else said: “Ah no. Super place and super staff.”
A third person commented: “Very sad,” and a fourth offered: “Such a shame, it’s always been one of the most family friendly restaurants in Kenilworth.”
It comes as a family restaurant chain owner has announced plans to close 18 branches.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shutter the sites as part of major restructuring plans.
Tasty, which also runs locations under Dim T brand, said it plans to exit around 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
Under the plans, the group would shut 18 branches, with two of these sites already closed to diners.
Tasty currently operates 43 Wildwoods and six Dim-T pan-Asian restaurants, as well as two non-trading sites and three sub-let venues.
The hospitality group said on Tuesday its financial performance “continues to be inhibited by a tail of underperforming sites”.
A spokesperson said: “The use of a restructuring plan is considered the most effective means to reorganise the group to return it to profitability and secure its long-term future which should change the financial viability, profitability profile and long-term prospects of the group.”
Tasty said it expects to operate around 30 restaurants by the end of the current year.
But, it hasn’t yet confirmed the locations of the sites earmarked for closure or when they could shut.
Recent major restaurant closures
Many major restaurants have been forced to close branches in the past few years including KFC and Frankie and Benny's.
KFC has lost branches in the following areas in the past two years:
- Avenue Retail Park on Weaverthorpe Road in Bradford
- Ferndown, Dorset
- Holbury
- London Road, Cowplain village
- Kilburn High Road
- Livingstone Street in Glasgow
- Middlesbrough
- Linthorpe Road
- Avenue Retail Park on Weaverthorpe Road in Bradford
Frankie and Benny’s has closed the following 18 branches of its restaurants:
- Aberdeen
- Birmingham – Plaza
- Blackpool
- Carmarthen
- Chesterfield
- Eastleigh
- Exeter – Marsh Barton
- Feltham
- Leeds
- Lenton
- Livingston
- Norwich – Riverside
- Peterborough
- Peterborough – Pavilions West
- Street – Clarks Village
- Tamworth
- Taplow
- Tunbridge Wells