Pizza Express has revealed the identity of the 73 branches it will close, with the loss of up to 1,100 jobs.
The chain, which is the latest high street giant to announce cuts as coronavirus continues to bite, has thrashed out a deal to reduce many of its rents.
It currently has 454 UK restaurants, but earnings are understood to have been falling in recent months.
Despite fears, there will be relief in Norfolk, whose three outlets - St Benedict’s and The Forum in Norwich, and one in King’s Lynn - are staying open.
Pizza Express said it had hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business, which is majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital.
Zoe Bowley, Pizza Express’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “Unfortunately, the impact of the global pandemic has meant that we have had to make some incredibly tough decisions to safeguard Pizza Express for the long term.”
Ms Bowley said that in most cases, the stores selected for closure were near to another Pizza Express that had already reopened or would be reopening soon.
Those closing are:
Aberdeen, Belmont St
Aylesbury
Barnstaple, Three Tuns
Biggleswade
Billericay
Birmingham, Corporation St
Birmingham, Mailbox
Bournemouth, Post Office Road
Bramhall
Bristol, Berkeley Square
Bristol, Regent Street
Bromsgrove
Bruton Place, London
Charlotte Street, London
Chippenham
Dalton Park
Darlington
Dudley, Merry Hill
Earls Court, Earls Court Road, London
Edinburgh, Holyrood
Formby
Fulham Palace Road, London
Glasgow, Princes Square
Glossop
Gosforth
Grantham
Halifax
Hampstead, London
Hatch End
Hereford
Heswall
Ipswich, Lloyds Avenue
Leeds, Crown Street
Leeds, Horsforth
Ludlow
Lymington
Melton Mowbray
Midhurst
Milton Keynes, Hub
Moseley
New Brighton
Newcastle
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport, South Wales
Northallerton
Nottingham, Goosegate
O2 Finchley, London
Orpington
Oxford, Oxford Castle
Poole
Port Solent
Ramsgate
Reading, St Mary’s Butts
Scarborough
Sheffield, Devonshire Street
Sheffield, The Moor
Shirley
Southport, Old Bank
Stafford
Staines
Stoke
Stourbridge
Sudbury
Torquay
Uxbridge
Wakefield
Walsall
Wapping
Wardour Street, London
Weston-super-Mare
Whiteley Village
Whitstable
Wrexham
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