Pizza Express are set to close up to 75 of its restaurants around the UK in a move that will put more than 1,000 jobs at risk.
The restaurant chain, founded in London in 1965, is understood to preparing to enter a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) – an insolvency process which will allow it to close stores and renegotiate rents – currently has 470 UK restaurants, including two in Swindon, which employ over 8,000 staff and a further 150 outlets worldwide.
The restaurant business has been hit by months of enforced closures due to Covid-19 and has so far seen Bella Italisa, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas permanently close 91 stores after entering administration, Carluccio’s closing a number of stores, including the Rodbourne location, losing 1,000 jobs in the process, Frankie & Benny’s owner announcing the closure of 120 stores and Ask and Zizzi also making moves to enter administration.
