379 jobs lost despite Ed’s Easy Diner rescue deal
TWO Ed’s Easy Diners in Yorkshire are among 26 nationwide that are to close as part of a deal that will save the rump of the burger chain.
379 jobs will be lost with the unwanted restaurants being closed immediately by administrators.
However around 700 jobs and 33 restaurants have been saved after food entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan – who owns Harry Ramsden’s, Giraffe and Bernard Matthews – bought the brand through his company, Boparan Restaurant Holdings.
Diners at Meadowhall in Sheffield and at the Designer Outlet in York will stay open, but sites at Monks Cross in York and Doncaster’s Frenchgate have closed.
In a statement, Giraffe’s managing director Tom Crowley said: “Ed’s Easy Diner has been an integral part of the UK casual dining scene for the past four decades and we are very excited about the business joining the group and the opportunities ahead.”
A sale process had been underway for most of this year for the chain of diners, which has grown quickly in the last few years.
At its culmination, Rob Croxen and Blair Nimmo from KPMG were appointed joint administrators to Ed’s Easy Diner Group, Ed’s Easy Diner Holdings and Ed’s Easy Diner Overseas.
Mr Croxen said: “While we are pleased the transaction preserves around 700 jobs, our immediate priority in the coming days will be to liaise with those employees who have been affected by redundancy and ensure that in addition to receiving all back pay owed, they are provided with any assistance they need.”
