Italian restaurant chain Prezzo has announced the permanent closure of two branches near Harrow as part of a nationwide strategic review of the business.
The review will see the closure of 46 loss-making sites across the UK, which has affected approximately 810 team members.
The remaining Prezzo restaurants, which are in better locations such as shopping centres, retail parks, tourist destinations and travel hubs, will benefit from continued investment in menu development and high-quality ingredients.
The two branches that are located nearest to Harrow are Borehamwood and Mill Hill.
Despite being proud of the company’s position as an appealing, trusted, great value food and drink experience, Prezzo CEO Dean Challenger admitted that the changing face of the high street, soaring inflation and the cost-of-living crisis has made it impossible to keep all of its restaurants operating profitably.
“The reality is that the post-Covid recovery has proved harder than we had hoped,” said Challenger. “That is why we have made the difficult decision to close 46 sites.”
Prezzo has pledged to work to redeploy as many affected staff members as possible and support those who cannot be accommodated in finding new opportunities.
The closure of the two branches near Harrow will be a significant loss to the local community, but the company believes that the tough decisions made will ensure Prezzo’s long-term, sustainable growth and enable it to continue serving the community.