Italian Restaurant Chain Carluccio’s Will Stay Alive by Making Itself Less Italian

Carluccio’s will become less Italian to keep itself afloat

In the wake of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group collapsing, the U.K.’s casual dining chains have their guard up. Carluccio’s — which closed a third of its restaurants last year — is expanding the ‘Fresca’ refurbishment programme designed to keep the restaurant group alive: it was two weeks from folding at one point in 2018. That programme includes a more “refined” menu, tightening up service, and, most strikingly, a gentle but conspicuous swerve away from the fierce devotion to Italian cuisine that won it respect in the early years. Steak, non-Italian fish dishes, and French wines are all set to appear on the menu.

This is the dilemma of the casual dining chain in a nutshell: with independent restaurants serving higher quality, better value iterations of the dishes those chains once introduced at large, the only options are to go toe-to-toe, or to change things up. Going toe-to-toe hasn’t worked for anyone just yet, so it’s a bold but seemingly sensible move from Carluccio’s to compromise what made it so attractive in the name of keeping afloat. [Big Hospitality]

And in other news...

• Three of Jamie Oliver’s proteges at Fifteen, the TV chef’s flagship restaurant in east London discuss the importance of that project. [The Observer]
• HSBC bank is reportedly owed £37 million following the collapse of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group. [Telegraph]
• ASDA comes late to the cheeseburger pizza trend with a limited edition number. [Metro]
• Home yoghurt makers are giving big dairy nightmares — a six percent drop in sales volume is being credited to those making at home. Non-dairy growth seems a more likely culprit. [Guardian]
• Pip MacDonald is now head chef at Peckham’s hottest bistro, Levan — she replaced Neil Borthwick at Merchant’s Tavern in Shoreditch after he went to revive the French House kitchen in Soho. [The Caterer]
• A Bristol bar wants visitors coming for its restaurant pop-ups to loosen their purse strings when it comes to drinks. Bristol Spirit co-founder Sam Espensen says those drinking tap water are seriously hurting profits. [Bristol Live]
• Good tweet: