UK burger chain collapse: 19 restaurants closing immediately - is your local going?
A BURGER chain in the UK has announced it will be closing 19 of its 20 restaurants with immediate effect today.
UK high street loses 10% of chain stores in 2019 says report
Handmade Burger Co has collapsed for the second time, with Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery appointed joint administrators. The popular chain got to 29 restaurants in the UK, before closing nine of them in 2017.
283 people are set to lose their jobs. Joint administrator David Griffiths said: “The casual dining market in the UK has experienced significant challenges over the last four years, largely as a result of overcapacity in the sector, which has resulted in a significant number of insolvencies.
“Sales at Handmade Burger Co. restaurants have almost halved during this period, which has proved to be unsustainable.
“It is disappointing that circumstances have meant that a sale of the business has not been possible in this case, but our focus now should be on those employees affected by this difficult news.
“We will work hard to provide them with all necessary assistance to claim for monies which remain due to them.”
Handmade Burger Co closures - full list of restaurants closing
Aberdeen
Edinburgh Ocean Terminal
Glasgow Braehead
Glasgow St Vincent Street
Birmingham Brindleyplace
Birmingham Bullring
Leicester Highcross
Lincoln Brayford Wharf
Peterborough
Solihull Touchwood
Gateshead Metrocentre
Hull
Leeds Trinity
Sheffield Meadowhall
Bath
Bournemouth
Reading
Southampton West Quay
Wembley
Handmade Burger Company was founded by Chris Sargeant and his two brothers in Birmingham in 2006.
Last week property company Berry was appointed to market the business, which was acquired out of administration by Burger Chain in 2017.
This is not the only high street chain which has closed in recent months.
From big brands to smaller, niche companies, many have suffered in the face of stiff competition.
Beales department store, one of Britain’s oldest department stores, collapsed into administration earlier this week.
The collapse puts more than 1,000 jobs at risk across the country.
Supermarket giant Asda announced they will be closing food counters in 150 stores across the UK.
The plans reveals the counters will be replaced with a ‘Food for Now’ section which will sell hot food.
However, it isn't all doom and gloom. JD Wetherspoon has announced plans to open up to 15 more pubs in 2020, in a move that could pave the way for 10,000 new jobs over the next few years.
Over the next four years, the chain said it will expand across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Most of the investment will be channelled into developments in “small and medium-sized towns”, but will also include larger towns and cities, the company said.
Wetherspoons founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “We are looking forward to opening many more new pubs as well as investing in existing pubs over the next four years.
"We are especially pleased that a large proportion of the investment will be in smaller towns and cities which have seen a decline in investment in recent years. The fact that we will be creating approximately 10,000 jobs is great news too.”