In a statement the company said it was proposing to shut 12 of its 37 Jamie’s Italian restaurants to ensure the brand was ‘in good shape for the future’.
The sites facing closure are Bath, Bristol, Bluewater, Chelmsford, Greenwich, Harrogate, Kingston, Milton Keynes, Piccadilly Diner, Reading, St Albans and Threadneedle St.
The group stressed its remaining 25 restaurants in the UK would be unaffected by the plans and continue to trade normally.
“This was a not an easy decision but it's a crucial step to ensure our strong and much-loved brand can continue to serve our loyal customers,” says Jon Knight, CEO of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group.
“We will look to redeploy as many staff as possible within the wider restaurant group. All staff impacted will be paid fully and all our obligations to them fulfilled. We’re incredibly grateful to the dedication and hard work of every single member of staff.”
The decision follows a difficult year for Oliver’s restaurant business. The group reported a £9.9m loss for the last financial year, with long-time CEO Simon Blagden stepping down in October after almost a decade.
The company shut six Jamie’s Italian sites in early 2017 and closed its final Union Jacks pizza restaurant last March, six years after Oliver launched the concept.
Restaurants across the market have shown signs of struggling this year. Strada closed a third of its estate over the festive period, while up to 20 Byron sites could face closure as part of a similar restructuring of the business.
Higher-end sites such as the Galvin brother’s Bistrot de Luxe in London and Birmingham’s Turners at 69, which held a Michelin star for eight years until 2017, have also announced their closure at a time when restaurants are facing rising food costs, business rates and staffing pressures.