Shropshire Star

Prezzo shuts its doors in Southwater - five months after 'avoiding axe'

One of Southwater's flagship restaurants has permanently closed less than two years after it opened.

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Prezzo in Telford's Southwater Shopping Centre is now closed

Prezzo, which only opened next to TGI Fridays in the Telford shopping centre last year, has shut its doors - with staff hanging a handmade sign on the door to let customers know.

The sign, written on a sheet of paper in black marker, says: "This restaurant is permanently closed."

All mention of the Southwater branch has also been removed from the Italian chain's website.

The closure comes five months after the company said its restaurants in Southwater, Oswestry and Bridgnorth would all stay open, despite plans to close 94 of 300 outlets in the UK.

The Oswestry and Bridgnorth branches remain on the Prezzo website and were open for business on Monday.

Prezzo has not responded to a request for comment on the closure, but said on Twitter the branch had "ceased trading".

Chimichanga, the Mexican restaurant chain owned by Prezzo, left Southwater earlier this year as part of Prezzo's attempt to reduce rent and rescue the business.

Prezzo in Oswestry is still open

Hundreds of jobs were axed across the company, which is owned by private equity firm TPG Capital.

Prezzo, which worked with AlixPartners on the restructuring, employs 4,500 people.

The nearby Harvester in Southwater has also closed, but will be replaced by sister steakhouse company Miller & Carter following a refurbishment.

The Miller & Carter restaurant is due to open on September 21 after work on the revamp started this week.