Jamie Oliver Restaurants Go Bust

[cassa333]

Personally I’ve never been to be but my OH has and he said for what you get they were over priced.

It’s a shame it’s gone under and especially for the workforce.

As the owner he had to put a lot of work into it and I understand he even remortgaged a couple of years ago when they got into difficulty. So from that point of view it’s a shame for him and his family as well.

However when you expand on your name things do somethings eventually go titties up. He can’t blame Brexit (well he can try) because it is all about customers moving on to the next bit thing and trying something new.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48352026

[Peter Pedant]

the one in King st
in the Lutyens Building that was the Midland
always a good meal

I have sympathy for the workers who work their butts off and if the management are at fault
or the business model is wrong
then they still get screwed ....

[ludwig]

I've never been to one. They just had that look about them that said 'I'm going to be overpriced and a bit disappointing'. Same reason I've never been to a Carluccios.

I've got nothing against Jamie Oliver though. He seems alright.

[andy-hughes]

Whatever the opposite of a 'foodie' is, I am one of those, so I have no idea if Mr Oliver's restaurants are superior, inferior, or the same, as anyone else's.

I do rather wonder about the concept of a place to eat being named after someone famous - after all, he's not there cooking for me, is he?

I did eat at his restaurant in Liverpool a few months ago, food was fine, but not better or worse than I could get at home for less.

I didn't enjoy the food more because the place had his name over the door, I suspect that may be the root cause of his company's demise - calling a restaurant after a chef doesn't improve the food and service one iota.

I think the concept of a chef's name over a franchise is going to die out very quickly after this. Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsey may be next.

[Smowball]

I like Jamie Oliver, he’s a real family man, and he put an awful lot of his own money into the restaurants to try and save them but the bottom line is they were too expensive.

[andy-hughes]

I guess the problem lies with the notion that the public will pay more to eat in a restaurant that has a famous chef's name on it - and the reality is that may have done, but they won't any more - the novelty has worn off, but the high prices are still there.

[Smowball]

Spot on Andy.

[andy-hughes]

Thanks.

My favourite restaurant is my local Italian, it's called Roberto's, named after the owner's son.

I have eaten there regularly for over thirty years, and frankly, they could call it anything, it wouldn't inspire me to eat, or not eat there, I have no interest in the sign over the door, just the food on the table

[Old_Geezer]

As he wasn't doing the cooking, despite the name, I opted not to bother.

[ludwig]

// the high prices are still there. //

To be fair, one of the reasons prices are high could be because they want pay their staff a decent salary, which is to be applauded.
The reality is though that it's sometimes tough to do that and stay in business in a competitive market.

[Canary42]

I note there was no apology to the staff in his Tweet, just a load of crocodile tears. He's all right Jack.

"I’m devastated that our much-loved UK restaurants have gone into administration. I am deeply saddened by this outcome and would like to thank all of the people who have put their hearts and souls into this business over the years."

[Khandro]

I've never even seen one his restaurants until last night on the news and they, at least the ones shown, looked ghastly - huge plate glass shop-fronts, nothing at all "Italian" about them, except the emblazoned name, not the sort of place I would want to enter to eat a meal in at all.

[woofgang]

Smow, he sells his "family" as part of his image. His vocal support of the sugar levy, which has resulted in most soft drinks now having added artificial sweeteners, all of which give me various unpleasant symptoms, I find prodnose in the extreme.

[zebo]

We've used the one at Gatwick North a couple of times, just a quick snack, the coffee's good.

[youngmafbog]

CAnt see anything wrong with that tweet Canary. It probably wasn't written by him anyway but by a PR person who realises the rest of the 'Empire' needs to carry on.

[Cloverjo]

//[I] would like to thank all of the people who have put their hearts and souls into this business over the years.//

I took that to be thanks for the staff.

[Eleena]

Quite a shock! I had a meal there once, had a gift token bought me. When I went to cash it in, the waiter didn't understand what it was and had to have a word with the msnager. I felt a little embarrassed. I think the waiter was new, but still. The food was nice.

[Eleena]

Very sad for all the staff.