Franco Manca: pizza menu chain with Yorkshire branch announces 16 UK restaurant closures in restructuring plan

• Franco Manca plans to close around 16 of its UK restaurants
• Up to 225 jobs could be at risk as part of the restructuring
• The Leeds branch is among those facing uncertainty, though closure locations have not been confirmed
• Rising costs and taxes have been blamed for making some sites unsustainable
• The move comes as part of a formal CVA to cut costs and protect the business

A popular sourdough pizza chain with a Yorkshire branch is set to close a number of its UK restaurants, putting jobs at risk as rising costs continue to bite across the hospitality sector.

Franco Manca, which operates around 70 sites nationwide including a venue in Leeds, is planning to shut roughly 16 restaurants as part of a restructuring effort.

Although the company has not confirmed which locations will be impacted, the move could affect around 225 employees.

The closures form part of a formal insolvency process known as a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which allows businesses to renegotiate rents and exit underperforming sites.

For customers in Leeds, it means uncertainty over the future of their local restaurant, even as the brand insists only a “minority” of sites will close.

Franco Manca is owned by Fulham Shore, which also runs The Real Greek chain. The group said some locations had become “no longer sustainable” due to mounting financial pressures.

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Chief executive Marcel Khan pointed to a combination of rising national insurance contributions, increases to the national living wage, and what he described as a lack of meaningful business rates relief for restaurants.

He also highlighted that VAT for hospitality in the UK remains higher than in many European countries.

The restructuring comes just months after the company began reviewing its options, including a potential sale. Fulham Shore itself was acquired in 2023 by Japanese restaurant group Toridoll, backed by investment firm Capdesia, in a deal worth £93.4 million.

While the company says it will support affected staff, the announcement underscores the ongoing challenges facing the UK’s casual dining sector, and raises fresh concerns for diners and workers alike in Leeds.