Franco Manca UK restaurant closures full checklist of 16 areas in danger
Pizza chain is reportedly set to close a raft its UK restaurants amid mounting hospitality cost pressures, with over 200 jobs at risk
Franco Manca in Chiswick is reportedly one of those at risk (Image: Streetview)
The complete list of 16 Franco Manca restaurants allegedly set for closure has been revealed, following the pizza chain’s assertion that ‘disproportionately high’ taxes were strangling hospitality enterprises.
Eight of the threatened outlets are reportedly situated in London, with over 200 positions potentially at stake due to the reductions. Additional locations encompass Didsbury, Cheltenham and Plymouth.
The chain’s founding Brixton establishment, which launched in 2008 on premises that had functioned as a pizzeria since 1986, is allegedly amongst those marked for shutdown.
Restaurants reportedly at risk
- Brixton
- Battersea
- Broadway Market
- Chiswick
- Kilburn
- New Oxford Street
- Stoke Newington
- Tottenham Court Road
- Bishop’s Stortford
- Bromley
- Cheltenham
- Didsbury
- Glasgow
- Hove
- Lincoln
- Plymouth
Workers at outlets in Battersea, Broadway Market, Chiswick, Kilburn, New Oxford Street, Stoke Newington and Tottenham Court Road have reportedly been given identical warnings.
Beyond the capital, outlets in Bishop’s Stortford, Bromley, Cheltenham, Didsbury, Glasgow, Hove, Lincoln and Plymouth are believed to be confronting identical circumstances.
Franco Manca expanded from a solitary pizzeria at the Brixton location, initially called Franco’s after its proprietor, which was bought by founders Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo in 2008.
The enterprise was later purchased by The Fulham Shore – which also operates Mediterranean-style chain The Real Greek – in 2015, before Fulham Shore itself was bought out by Japanese food giant Toridoll Holdings.
In a statement, Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, said: “Even restaurant businesses that are doing all the right things from a customer and operational perspective are not immune to widely publicised pressures impacting the hospitality industry. This includes significant increases in national insurance and the national living wage in recent history, as well as a lack of business rates relief for the restaurant sector and disproportionately high VAT in the UK compared with Europe.
“As a result of these external cost pressures, we have to make sure that we are putting our business on a sustainable footing for long-term growth and development.
“This is why we have taken the difficult decision to undertake a CVA for Franco Manca, which will see a minority proportion of our restaurants closing where they are no longer sustainable in this cost environment. We are deeply saddened by the closures of a minority proportion of our restaurants, and will support our affected team members throughout this process in every way that we can.”
Mr Khan confirmed Fulham Shore will launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) restructuring process for the Franco Manca business. This comes two months after senior executives enlisted consultants to examine strategic possibilities, including a possible sale or reorganisation, according to MCA reports, which also revealed the closure list.
The firm is believed to be continuing its evaluation of future prospects for the 28-strong Real Greek chain. Japanese restaurant group Toridoll, supported by investment company Capdesia, acquired Fulham Shore in 2023 for £93.4 million.
Documents filed by Toridoll spanning April to December 2025 showed Fulham Shore’s turnover had dropped 5.4 per cent year-on-year, with both revenues and earnings for the group described as ‘bad’.
