Restaurant Chains Closing - sad or not?

[Loulou Profile]

I was just thinking of the large number of eateries which have gone bust. Ones near me include Frankie and Bennie, Chiquita’s and Pizza Express. I have visited Pizza Express but not for many years, and was never a great fan. A lovely tearoom near me is closing, even though they offered evening meals to take away during the lockdown period. They have lost too much money to be able to continue. I am really sorry to see the tearoom go as it’s in a village and was well thought of and always busy. I am not too bothered about the others although sad for peoples’ jobs. I hope that more individual cafes and restaurants will take their place but who knows? What do people feel about the loss of places like Frankie and Benny?

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I hope our local Pizza Express in Pinner doesn't close. It's a lovely place to take the grandchildren.

Never been to a Frankie and Benny but have not heard great reports so never wanted to.

[Loulou Profile]

I agree they are great for children! Not really a huge pizza fan though apart from Franco Manca (sp) and GB Pizza in Margate, both yummy.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Lots of chains take others with them

I wasn’t very upset the Café Rouge and Bella Italia were closing, apart from in a general sense, then I discovered that Belgo goes with them and friends and I like them for a cheap convivial lunch

[Loulou Profile]

Yes, know what you mean. Used to meet friends at a fairly local Table Table - it was convenient but standard bought in fare. We put up with it as handy to get to for all 8 of us. It then changed into a Cookhouse and Pub, which was even worse than before? We all vowed never to set foot in it again. So now our regular meeting place of 5+ years is no more as the venue really is dire! We do miss it as now we have to hunt round for a place which will suit everyone - not easy! I would rather spend a bit more and go to a nice independent but again, some are struggling a bit financially, and we always managed to get money off vouchers for Table Table!

[herbidacious Profile]

Well, job losses aside, I suppose it also depends on what takes their place. It's unlikely to be a nice independent restaurant...?

Cafe Rouge does/did a cafe gourmand and citron presse, for which it got my vote, but otherwise the food was not great imo. The rest... well Pizza Express is probably the only other chain I go to. (I used to like Carluccio's many moons ago...) Our local one went independent a while back (are they franchises?) More or less the same menu. More or less as good as it was (but alas, minus my favourite melanzane parmigiana).

[cherrytree Profile]

Lots of Courte Paille restaurants in France closing too.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I think things will eventually settle, with places having the number of eating establishments that they can support under the 'new normal' conditions. If restaurants are deciding they aren't viable with fewer customers, they were probably borderline non-viable already.

The deciding factor for many may be when the 'Eat out' scheme ends - it seems to have been successful in getting diners out in the first half of the week, but these diners will eventually have to be prepared to pay full price for meals.

Unfortunately it may be the independents who suffer most, unless they have a firm base of loyal customers.

Things are especially difficult in areas that rely on tourists more than locals.

[Amyw Profile]

I think any restaurant closing is sad , whether it’s a chain or an independent, as ultimately it results in people losing their jobs . It must be a very scary time to work in the hospitality industry .

I really admire how resourceful and adaptive a lot of our local eateries have been to continue trading whether that’s just doing takeaway/delivery or adapting their premises . Hopefully one of the positives out of this whole thing will be we continue to support our local independents more

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Closing restaurant chains doesn´t worry me too much; the bigger they are, the blander the food, in general. That doesn´t mean I never use them, but I won´t be upset to see them go.
Individual restaurants, gastro-pubs and local cafés, however, will be a huge loss, and I´m afraid many of them will go under. This pandemic is nowhere near ended; in some places it´s only just started ( South America). Businesses will also be assessing working remotely from home and i´m sure there will be a lot of corporate HQs which will eventually disappear. The economy world-wide will suffer a huge downturn.
The only businesses I see benefitting from this pandemic are internet and computer -based companies.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I think a lot of the chains have had their day. Places like Cafe Rouge and Ask were wonderful when they first appeared but there are much better (sometimes independent) places now. Our Frankie and Bennys is next to the big cinema and so did a roaring trade and is staying open. I have had some of the worst eating experiences of my life there. Chiquitos is/was next door, I didn't ever go there as the menu didn't appeal at all.

I've no idea what's still open here after lockdown. Pizza Express usually does well, never disappoints. Prezzo is nice too. Loved Carluccios, very sad it has gone. Can't understand why people go mad for Nandos. Everyone has started raving about a chain called Bills, the nearest to here is Bath. I was surprised when I read the menu as amongst the people who recommended it are real health food fans and there didn't seem a huge choice for them.

Macdonalds, KFC, Burger King, local chip shops and pubs are all doing very well.

[halfateabag Profile]

I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Nando's. Very tasty.

[herbidacious Profile]

I would be sad if Wahaca went under. Hate the vibe but love the food.

Nando's has a terrible animal welfare rep...

[WWordsworth Profile]

I have never been tempted into a Nando's or any of the pizza places and have visited the other chains a handful of times in total so it won't affect me at all if they close.

I am concerned about the livelihoods of the people who work there, and the effect the empty properties will have on the high street.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Out high street has died. We lost Debenhams over lockdown and now Sainsburys is going. A newly built area which had a cinema, Morrisons, Ask, a burger place and a Chinese now only has the cinema hanging on by a thread and Prezzo and Nandos left. The council is pretending it can resurrect the town centre - dream on. Everyone goes to out of town shopping parks of which there are several with no parking charges. The food places there are doing alright, shame they're not very good ones!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Nando's. Very tasty.

I’ve been once
Greasy chicken with no discernible flavour of piri piri, 3rd rate chips
In fairness it seems I may have been unlucky as other people enjoy our local branch

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I really rate Nando's but I've only ever been to two branches. Their salads are terrific and I like very punchy sauce.

You really can keep Bill's.

[Suffs Profile]

I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Nando's. Very tasty.

I’ve been once
Greasy chicken with no discernible flavour of piri piri, 3rd rate chips
In fairness it seems I may have been unlucky as other people enjoy our local branch

I went once with a teenage niece who was staying with us for a taste of 'city life' ... She lived in what she called 'rural isolation' and it had been one of her dreams to eat at Nandos 'like real people' ....... she was sorely disappointed ... she said that even their village chippy didn't serve food that left a layer of grease in your mouth and she thought that everything tasted the same. I must say that I wasn't impressed either and have never been back. However I do remember being impressed with the young waitress who served us ... very professional but with a relaxed manner.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Not had their chips, always gone for the grilled chicken thighs with an enormous salad with loads of avocado. Is possible menu has changed since I last went there though.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

As I vote with my feet.
I'm not at all sad that Zizzi's or Cafe Rouge, especially Carluccio's have gone under (burnt children portions). I wouldn't go back to them anyway, so their not being there is of no consequence.

Zizzi's was an utter mickey take, prawn spaghetti had a thin tomato (I'm reluctant to call it) sauce, with 2 tiny prawns on top. £14.99 thank you very much.
Micromanaged within an inch of its life.

Some businesses deserve to fail. Although I'm not taking into any consideration the knock-on adverse effects of job losses and other implications.

Our local Carluccios has been taken over by the Masterchef finalist Andrew Kojima. When one door closes another door opens I guess.

Lord knows how local councils are going to manage without the big guns in town and high streets in the future tho.
I've already been receiving email notifications, that they say saves the Borough Council on stamps. My big annoyance is getting dross correspondence and cards from local council anyway, so it's about time they thought harder about wastage in general.