Following the permanent closure of 61 of 80 Chiquito sites and Food and Fuel pub chain at the end of March, The Restaurant Group (TRG) is to close 120 more sites.
TRG, which owns Frankie & Benny's and Garfunkels, has about 600 outlets across the UK, with about 22,000 workers on furlough.
It is understood, according to an email to managers seen by the BBC, that Frankie & Benny's will bear the brunt of the closures.
The company also owns the Wagamama chain, but Wagamama is not part of the division that received the email and the vast majority of its restaurants are expected to reopen.
In April, TRG announced it had raised £57m through a share placing to bolster its finances ahead of an expected sales plunge this year.