Italian restaurant chain Zizzi has closed its branch in Kenilworth

Steve Holmes, the CEO of the Azzuri Group which owns the chain, has said the Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector "bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill".

He said: “Despite being a successful operator, the immediate loss of revenue during lockdown meant that we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions to protect the business for the long-term.”

Azzuri, which also owns high street Italian restaurant chain Ask Italian, has confirmed it will close 75 branches, with up to 1,200 employees set to lose their jobs.

The decision is the result of Azzuri Group being bought out of administration by American investment firm Tower Brook Capital Partners (TBCP), in a £70 million deal that TBCP says will “protect 5,000 jobs".

Bridgepoint, the last private equity firm to buy the group, paid £250 million for Ask and Zizzi in 2015.

He added: "It is with deep sadness that this process will result in the permanent closure of a number of sites and that we must say goodbye to greatly valued employees across our brands."

A sticker placed on the menu on the wall outside the resturant says "Zizzi has not paid us redundancy".