As casual dining brands, such as Byron, Jamie’s Italian, Strada and Prezzo, have struggled this year and closed sites, the latest firm to feel the heat is Carluccio's.
Owned by Dubai-based Landmark Group, the Italian restaurant and deli chain is working with one of the big four auditors, KPMG, to look into options to help the chain.
The company’s most recent accounts reveal its pre-tax profits fell from £5.2m to £982k for the year to September 25, 2016.
The chain was co-founded by television chef Antonio Carluccio, who died in November 2017, and has 102 restaurants across the UK, as well as a number abroad.
This latest news comes as research into the casual dining industry reveals that one in three of the UK’s top 100 restaurant groups are not making a profit. (Go to the Restaurants tab and click on Trends for more on that story.) Prezzo is closing 94 outlets, Jamie's Italian is shutting 12 branches and Strada 11.