ASK Italian in Berkhamsted will not re-open

The restaurant on the High Street, closed it's doors on March 18, when the country went into lockdown and the manager of the restaurant has said it will not be re-opening.

Azzurri Group, the owner of Zizzi and Ask Italian restaurant chains, said it will close a number of locations.

The chain also owns the Coco Di Mama pasta chain, and has been sold out of administration to TowerBrook Capital Partners.

Adam, manager of Berkhamsted branch, said: "Unfortunately, we will not be re-opening the restaurant.

"The chain got bought out and decided to close a number of ASK Italian and Zizzi restaurants to save money.

"We have been made redundant, but I can't complain, it would have been a tough decision to close the restaurants and they have gone about it in the right way.

"It's a shame that we won't be re-opening and serving our regular customers, but we have to move forward now."

The company said the coronavirus had hit restaurants hard.

Steve Holmes, CEO of Azzurri Group, said: “The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill.

"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.

"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.

“Looking forwards, TowerBrook is a strong new partner who shares our ambitions for the future.

"Their additional investment has enabled us to preserve the majority of our restaurants, stores and jobs and I am confident that, under TowerBrook’s ownership, Azzurri will navigate the period ahead successfully. We look forward to welcoming customers back in the near future and to our next chapter with optimism.”