The owner of Frankie and Benny’s has confirmed the closure of five North East restaurants.
The Restaurant Group (TRG) – which owns the chain – announced it would be closing 125 restaurants last month, which would affect between 2,000 and 3,000 employees.
The chain revealed it was reopening restaurants but put a notice on its website to say if the restaurant you are looking for is not on the list it is permanently closed.
Restaurants at the Arnison Centre in Durham, Galleries Shopping Centre in Washington and Newcastle’s John Dobson Street, Dalton Park in Murton and Cramlington, Northumberland are no longer on the list.
Branches in Boldon, Eldon Square, the Metrocentre, North Shields and Stockton are staying open.
A spokesman for Frankie and Benny’s said: “The casual dining sector has faced enormous, well-documented pressures which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the lockdown.
“Unfortunately, we have had to take difficult but necessary decisions to ensure a sustainable future for our business.
“We have been in close contact with affected colleagues throughout this process and we are doing all we can to support them during this time.”
In March, TRG shut 61 out of its 80 of its Chiquito Mexican-style outlets, as well as its Food & Fuel chain of pubs, after placing the two sub-brands into administration.
The company, which currently has about 22,000 staff on furlough, is one of the largest restaurant operators in Britain.
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