Carluccio’s in Cambridge is saved

Carluccio's in Cambridge has been saved from closure.

The Italian restaurant chain, which has an outlet in the Grand Arcade, was placed in administration in March, putting its locations in the UK at risk.

However, the joint administrators for Carluccio’s Limited completed the sale of the business to Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), which owns brands including Cinnamon, Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner.

The deal saw the Carluccio's brand and 30 sites in the UK acquired by BRG, including the one in Cambridge, with more than 800 jobs transferred to BRG. Unfortunately, a further 40 sites were not part of the transaction and have been closed.

Phil Reynolds, joint administrator and partner at FRP, said: “The Covid-19 lockdown has put incredible pressure on businesses across the leisure sector, so it has been important to work as quickly and as decisively as possible in an extremely challenging business environment to secure a sale, which ensures the future of the Carluccio’s brand in the UK casual dining scene, retains a significant network of sites across the country and, critically, transfers a considerable number of jobs. We wish the team all the best as part of the Boparan Restaurant Group.”

Satnam Leihal, managing director of BRG, said: “We welcome Carluccio’s colleagues to BRG. This acquisition is in line with our strategy to grow our restaurant group with quality brands. Whilst it is an extremely challenging time for the sector, we believe quality hospitality businesses will recover in the long term as people return to eating out.”

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Carluccio’s in administration as 2,000 employees await fate