Pizza chain confirms its restaurant shut for good
LEICESTER’S restaurant scene has taken another hit as Italian restaurant chain Ask confirmed its city branch has closed for good.
The restaurant, in Silver Street, closed due to the coronavirus lockdown in March and has not reopened.
Confirming the restaurant’s permanent closure, an Ask spokesman said: “The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill.
“Despite being a successful operator, we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions, including the permanent closure of a number of sites.
“It is with deep sadness we confirm Leicester to be among these closures and that we have had to say goodbye to a team of greatly valued employees and their much-loved customers.
“As things stand it was not viable to remain in our existing site, but we do hope that one day we will return to the town.”
News of the closure follows an announcement made in July by The Azzuri Group, which owned the Ask Italian and Zizzi pizza chains.
It said that it would not reopen about 75 of its restaurants following the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in the loss of up to 1,200 jobs.
The Azzuri Group was taken over by investment firm TowerBrook Capital Partners, which planned to keep open 225 restaurants and shops, protecting 5,000 jobs.
Ask is one of a number of Leicester restaurants to have recently closed for good.
Last week, MOD Pizza confirmed its Leicester branch would not be reopening.
The Leicester branches of Coast to Coast, Carluccio’s, Cafe Rouge, and Handmade Burger Co have also closed permanently this year.