Two well-known family restaurants are closing the doors of their West Lothian branches, blaming soaring costs and a drop in customers.
Prezzo announced today that its Livingston branch will be closing while another popular eatery, Frankie and Benny’s, is also shutting, leaving many jobs in the balance.
The Livingston Prezzo is one of 46 “loss making sites” that will close, with the company citing soaring costs and changes in customer habits.
The chain said its utility costs have rocketed by more than double over the last year after energy bills shot up.
The restaurant group has also been impacted by rising food costs, which are currently at a 45-year high.
Prezzo says it has seen the cost of spaghetti rise 40 per cent, pizza sauce go up 28 per cent and the cost of its dough balls increase by 15 per cent.
Dean Challenger, chief executive of Prezzo, said: “The last three years have been some of the hardest times I have ever seen for the high street and I’m extremely proud of the way our colleagues have retained Prezzo’s position as an appealing, trusted, great value food and drink experience.
“But the reality is that the cost-of-living crisis, the changing face of the high street and soaring inflation has made it impossible to keep all our restaurants operating profitably.
“We believe the tough decisions we are making today will ensure Prezzo can continue serving communities with high-quality, accessible Italian-inspired meals for many more years to come.”
The Livingston Frankie and Benny’s branch is one of 85 under threat, with the company also blaming rising running costs and customers cutting back on spending during the current cost of living crisis.
Its parent company is the Restaurant Group (TRG), which is also owns Wagamama and Chiquito.
Andy Hornby, chief executive of The Restaurant Group, said: “We’ve delivered a strong operating performance for the year in a market which has continued to pose a number of headwinds for casual dining operators. Current trading has been very encouraging to the great credit of our teams who continue to ensure our customers receive the best experience possible.”
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