A RESTAURANT chain with an outlet in Barrow has announced plans to close 33 venues.
The Restaurant Group, the owner of the Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito chains, will sell or close 33 outlets.
Restaurant Group, which runs 500 theme restaurants, said it had been a "challenging trading period".
It said its Frankie & Benny's chain had "suffered due to insufficient focus on value, unsuccessful menu development and poor operational execution". Those outlets had lost customers after "significant price increases and the removal of popular value offers".
The company said it was "taking action" to change this, adding it would stick with the Frankie & Benny's brand as it remained "relevant and popular".
Around half of the restaurant closures planned would be across the Frankie and Benny's chain, leaving it with around 235 outlets.
Frankie and Benny’s opened in the building formerly occupied by Blockbuster Video in the Hindpool Retail Park in Barrow on April 27 2013, creating 40 jobs. The Restaurant Group has not yet confirmed which outlets will close.
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