Boparan saves Carluccio’s jobs

HUNDREDS of jobs have been saved as restaurant chain Carluccio’s was rescued by the Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) which agreed to buy 30 of its UK sites, the company’s joint administrators at advisory firm FRP said last Friday (22).

Carluccio’s went into administration in March as alreadychallenging trading conditions on the high street were made worse by the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Under the deal, 800 jobs will be transferred to BRG, but 40 sites not part of the transaction will be closed, resulting in 1,019 staff being made redundant.

Boparan Holdings, the parent company of BRG, owns leading food business 2 Sisters Food Group. It was founded by Asian entrepreneurs Ranjit Singh Boparan and his wife Baljit. With an estimated wealth of £585 million, the couple were ranked 22nd in the Asian Rich List 2019, published by Eastern Eye.

“The lockdown has put incredible pressure on businesses across the leisure sector,” said Phil Reynolds, joint administrator and partner at FRP. “(The) sale … ensures the future of the Carluccio’s brand, retains a significant network of sites across the country and, critically, transfers a number of jobs.”