Carluccio's acquired by Boparan Restaurant Group, saving over 800 jobs
However, over 1,000 staff members will be made redundant.
Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s has been rescued out of administration by the Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the parent company of the Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner restaurant brands.
A total of 30 trading sites were part of the rescue deal, saving over 800 jobs. In contrast, administrators FRP Advisory said that 40 Carluccio’s restaurants across the UK will close and 1,019 members of staff will be made redundant.
“The COVID-19 lockdown has put incredible pressure on businesses across the leisure sector, so it has been important to work as quickly and as decisively as possible in an extremely challenging business environment to secure a sale, which ensures the future of the Carluccio’s brand in the UK casual dining scene, retains a significant network of sites across the country and, critically, transfers a considerable number of jobs. We wish the team all the best as part of the Boparan Restaurant Group,” joint administrator Phil Reynolds said.
“For what has been a particularly challenging period for everyone at Carluccio’s and much of the rest of our industry, we’re grateful for the support and guidance provided by the team at FRP which has worked hard to secure the future of the business,” Carluccio’s CEO Mark Jones added.
Brands under BRG also include Cinnamon, Fishworks and Slim Chickens. In a separate deal, it will also take on Carluccio’s franchise partnership in the UAE and Qatar.
“We welcome Carluccio’s colleagues to BRG. This acquisition is in line with our strategy to grow our restaurant group with quality brands. Whilst it is an extremely challenging time for the sector, we believe quality hospitality businesses will recover in the long term as people return to eating out,” BRG managing director Satnam Leihal said in a statement.
A spokesperson for BRG declined to comment further, telling QSR Media that it is “still too early” to comment on potential reopenings and management changes.
