Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group Confirms Closure of 12 Restaurants

The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has confirmed that it will close 12 of its 37 UK restaurants. The announcement, since being widely reported last week, was believed to be imminent.

It was also confirmed that four of the sites to cease trading are in London: Jamie’s Italians in Kingston, on Threadneedle Street in the City, and Greenwich; and Jamie’s Diner on Piccadilly in central London.

A statement issued by the company today said:

The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has confirmed it is proposing to close 12 UK branches. It follows a strategic review to ensure the business is in good shape for the future.

The remaining 25 sites in the UK will be unaffected by this decision and will continue to trade normally. This announcement does not affect Jamie’s Italian franchises managed through Jamie’s Italian International. The Jamie Oliver Media Group and the Jamie Oliver Licensing Group, which are both managed and run separately, are also unaffected.

Jon Knight, CEO of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, said: “This was a not an easy decision but it’s a crucial step to ensure our strong and much-loved brand can continue to serve our loyal customers.

“We will look to redeploy as many staff as possible within the wider restaurant group. All staff impacted will be paid fully and all our obligations to them fulfilled. We’re incredibly grateful to the dedication and hard work of every single member of staff.” he added.

The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group was formed in 2008, but last year ran into difficulty amid the so-called casual dining sector “squeeze” that prompted the closure of six Jamie’s Italian restaurants early in 2017, and has since affected burger chain Byron, and the Italian restaurant group Strada.