Brand owner The Restaurant Group has unveiled the new look at its refurbished Basildon restaurant - which opens at the end of this month - the first of three major refurbishments planned to update Frankie & Benny’s restaurants this year.
The new-look restaurant has a more vibrant feel and a more sustainable set-up and has been redesigned to accommodate growth in delivery and takeaway, according to the company.
A main element of the refurbishment has been the significant expansion of the kitchen area, it says, which features new more energy-efficient kit.
In a significant branding move, the company has dropped the Benny’s from its signature neon red logo, pushing the Frankie’s name to the fore.
“As part of our efforts to evolve the brand and deliver an excellent customer proposition, we are letting Frankie take centre stage and move the brand forward to a bright future,” says Jonathan Knight, managing director at Frankie & Benny's.
“We are excited to begin refurbishing other restaurants and we can’t wait to welcome back customers at the end of October.”
The story behind the name Frankie & Benny’s is something of a mystery. It has been said to have taken its name from schoolfriends Frankie Giuliani and friend Benny, who took over the running of Giuliani’s family restaurant in 1953, but the brand was actually founded in England in 1995.