Jamie Oliver had been pumping his own money into the struggling chain, but it proved to not be enough to save the business.
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So, Jamie Oliver’s restaurant empire has collapsed.
The majority of the Jamie’s Italian franchise have closed their doors to customers.
Only three are set to remain open – all at Gatwick Airport.
According to his administrators, the celebrity chef pumped millions of his own money into the group since the start of 2019.
But this was not enough. Now 1000 staff members have been made redundant and half-and-half pasta plates are a thing of the past.
Earlier today, I went to Jamie’s Italian in Angel to speak to Londoners about the closures.
The majority of people I spoke to weren’t surprised. In fact, they expected it.
Credit: Getty Images
Most told me there wasn’t much appetite for the chain.
“I’d rather go to Pizza Express,” said one Islington resident.
That seems to be where the issue lies.
What was the issue?
The prices, compared to its competitors, were high and its reputation not good enough to justify this.
According to market analyst Fiona Cincotta, the menu was “too expensive for mid-range dining and not high-end enough to compete at the more expensive end of the market”.
Credit: Getty Images
The Jamie’s Italian I went to visit in Angel this morning only had a 3.5 TripAdvisor review, for example.
That’s quite a mediocre score for someone that charges £13.00 for a Lasagne.
Only one restaurant in the franchise – Jamie’s Italian London Bridge – managed to achieve about a 3.5 rating.
Professional reviews weren’t more favourable, either. Marina O’Loughlin of The Sunday Times said the truffle tagliatelle tasted like “mouse poos in soup.”
A mediocre or worse reputation paired with costly menu options probably didn’t inspire many investors to chip in and save the chain.
It’s not only this that makes the closures unsurprising.
In an email to staff, Jamie Oliver said that “the well-publicised struggles of the casual dining sector and decline of the UK high street, along with soaring business rates” was to blame.
This certainly played a part in its demise.
Credit: Getty Images
Jamie’s Italian isn’t the only restaurant to have struggled financially over the last few months.
Strada and Carluccio’s, rivals of the chain, have also fared quite badly. Strada is now only down to three chains.
It seems like a combination of a bad business model and a difficult market might have played a part in the chain going under.
Its eventual demise isn’t particularly surprising. What is shocking, however, is that the closures are with immediate effect.
What’s more, the 1000 redundancies are every bit shocking enough to making the headlines.
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HeadlineAnalysis: is it surprising Jamie’s Italian went under?
Short HeadlineIs Jamie's Italian's closure surprising?
Standfirst22 out of 25 of the restaurants will be closing with immediate effect
So, Jamie Oliver’s restaurant empire has collapsed.
The majority of the Jamie’s Italian franchise have closed their doors to customers.
Only three are set to remain open – all at Gatwick Airport.
According to his administrators, the celebrity chef pumped millions of his own money into the group since the start of 2019.
But this was not enough. Now 1000 staff members have been made redundant and half-and-half pasta plates are a thing of the past.
Earlier today, I went to Jamie’s Italian in Angel to speak to Londoners about the closures.
The majority of people I spoke to weren’t surprised. In fact, they expected it.
Credit: Getty Images
Most told me there wasn’t much appetite for the chain.
“I’d rather go to Pizza Express,” said one Islington resident.
That seems to be where the issue lies.
What was the issue?
The prices, compared to its competitors, were high and its reputation not good enough to justify this.
According to market analyst Fiona Cincotta, the menu was “too expensive for mid-range dining and not high-end enough to compete at the more expensive end of the market”.
Credit: Getty Images
The Jamie’s Italian I went to visit in Angel this morning only had a 3.5 TripAdvisor review, for example.
That’s quite a mediocre score for someone that charges £13.00 for a Lasagne.
Only one restaurant in the franchise – Jamie’s Italian London Bridge – managed to achieve about a 3.5 rating.
Professional reviews weren’t more favourable, either. Marina O’Loughlin of The Sunday Times said the truffle tagliatelle tasted like “mouse poos in soup.”
A mediocre or worse reputation paired with costly menu options probably didn’t inspire many investors to chip in and save the chain.
It’s not only this that makes the closures unsurprising.
In an email to staff, Jamie Oliver said that “the well-publicised struggles of the casual dining sector and decline of the UK high street, along with soaring business rates” was to blame.
This certainly played a part in its demise.
Credit: Getty Images
Jamie’s Italian isn’t the only restaurant to have struggled financially over the last few months.
Strada and Carluccio’s, rivals of the chain, have also fared quite badly. Strada is now only down to three chains.
It seems like a combination of a bad business model and a difficult market might have played a part in the chain going under.
Its eventual demise isn’t particularly surprising. What is shocking, however, is that the closures are with immediate effect.
What’s more, the 1000 redundancies are every bit shocking enough to making the headlines.
