Little Chef sheds jobs as outlets close

LITTLE Chef, the roadside restaurant chain, is to close 67 of its 161 outlets, resulting in the loss of up to 600 jobs.

The company, which has its head office in Sheffield, said that between 500 and 600 jobs would be cut, accounting for almost a quarter of the workforce.

A mixture of full and part-time roles would go at sites across the UK, leaving around 1,500 staff employed at the iconic restaurant chain.

The sites earmarked for closure have been trading unprofitably for a number of years due to “a variety of economic and locational factors”, the company said.

The troubled restaurant chain fell into administration in 2007 but it was saved by private equity firm RCapital.

The turnaround group bought the majority of the business and assets – saving 193 of the 235 restaurants, and more than 3,500 jobs.

Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal was hired in 2008 to try to revive the business but so far his menu is available in only a handful of Little Chef restaurants.

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