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Jamie’s Italian going bust

Expect it was hit by the triple whammy of falling customer numbers, increased business rents/rates and increases in minimum /living wage.

High streets are becoming deserts, there will be more casualties I fear.
 
Sticking a fancy name/celeb chef's name on a restaurant is just so naff and transparent. He's probably never been in 90% of those restaurants. Who honestly believes they'd be getting a Jamie meal?
 
Hobbit said:
Sticking a fancy name/celeb chef's name on a restaurant is just so naff and transparent. He's probably never been in 90% of those restaurants. Who honestly believes they'd be getting a Jamie meal?
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This ^^^ Been in McDonalds loads of times and not seen one farmer in there yet. Ei ie O 😂
 
Not sure I'd be quite as caustic as some regarding the chain, but being relatively expensive for a "nothing special" offering is not a good combination is a very competitive field. Add in the rent/rates/economy factors and the whole becomes unsurprising, really
 
Went to his restaurant in Edinburgh and fancied prawns for starters and asked the waitress where they were sauced from and the reply was Cambodia, needless to say I had a different starter.
 
PhilTheFragger said:
Expect it was hit by the triple whammy of falling customer numbers, increased business rents/rates and increases in minimum /living wage.

High streets are becoming deserts, there will be more casualties I fear.
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I've seen these factors referenced in articles (not sure if it was reason given by JO & his team or from other analysts) The rent/rates is gonna be huge, but a business should never fail citing as a reason: 'having to pay minimum wage'

Very poor for two reasons;
They must have known what the minimum wage was and factored in a small increase
If you're going to staff you business predominantly with staff on minimum wage, how do you expect them to be capable of delivering the service required to keep a mid-high priced casual dining restaurant with sufficient turnover? Surely if you pay minimum wage you will get comparable service. So they've deliberately set out to fail

Thankfully for us customers, there's always staff in every line of work that give their all to their jobs despite the poor pay, but they are sadly the minority
 
Tashyboy said:
Pasta in essence is flour and eggs. Not the most expensive ingredients in the world. £12 for a spag Bol. People are not stupid. Went into Bella Italia yesterday before the parade. £12 for the lasagne, £6.99 for the lunch lasagne. Exactly the same. Why not keep it at £6.99 all day. £4.95 for sweet potato fries.
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Spaghetti bolognese isn’t just pasta though, is it?

And the reason they don’t do that is because they’d go bust even faster. Tiny or no profit margins on the lunch time crowd, make it back on the evenings. Standard restaurant model of working.
 
Kellfire said:
Spaghetti bolognese isn’t just pasta though, is it?

And the reason they don’t do that is because they’d go bust even faster. Tiny or no profit margins on the lunch time crowd, make it back on the evenings. Standard restaurant model of working.
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It isnt just Pasta, but it's not a £12 meal either. If they thought they were gonna survive charging £12 for spag Bol, it was always gonna fail.
Mark my words, Miller and Carter charging £85 for steak and McDonald's chips will be the next. Complete and utter Rammel. There spare ribs are dire, ave had better from Aldi.
 
Italian chain restaurants are ten a penny. I never ate in a Jamie's Italian, but is there anything that sets them apart from Prezzo, Bella Italia, Ask, Pizza Express, Carluccio's etc etc? I'm guessing not.
 
Tashyboy said:
It isnt just Pasta, but it's not a £12 meal either. If they thought they were gonna survive charging £12 for spag Bol, it was always gonna fail.
Mark my words, Miller and Carter charging £85 for steak and McDonald's chips will be the next. Complete and utter Rammel. There spare ribs are dire, ave had better from Aldi.
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We eat at Miller & Carter on occasions, we've usually found their steak to be nice. Also the restaurants are always packed so can't see them folding any time soon. Must be unlucky that the M&C branch you went to wasn't up to standard - we've been in 3 different ones in area which are all good.
 
Orikoru said:
Italian chain restaurants are ten a penny. I never ate in a Jamie's Italian, but is there anything that sets them apart from Prezzo, Bella Italia, Ask, Pizza Express, Carluccio's etc etc? I'm guessing not.
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yes they were considerably worse; service, food and value for money than any of those you mentioned:ROFLMAO:

if only the producers of the River Cafe program were turned on by the fat tongued idiot, we could have all been spared;)
 
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Orikoru said:
We eat at Miller & Carter on occasions, we've usually found their steak to be nice. Also the restaurants are always packed so can't see them folding any time soon. Must be unlucky that the M&C branch you went to wasn't up to standard - we've been in 3 different ones in area which are all good.
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From start to finish it was poor, intimate table for two, "here's your table for six sir". Table was booked six weeks in advance for our anniversary. Paid for it with an £100 card daughter got us for Christmas. The Bill should of come to £85ish, they left out two pints of shandy and a bottle of white, came to £61ish. It was poor from start to finish. Table booked for 8.00. 40 minute wait for table. Trouble is I have to go back as there £40 left on card. Am having a burger next time.
 
Tashyboy said:
From start to finish it was poor, intimate table for two, "here's your table for six sir". Table was booked six weeks in advance for our anniversary. Paid for it with an £100 card daughter got us for Christmas. The Bill should of come to £85ish, they left out two pints of shandy and a bottle of white, came to £61ish. It was poor from start to finish. Table booked for 8.00. 40 minute wait for table. Trouble is I have to go back as there £40 left on card. Am having a burger next time.
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What I'm saying is, this was one visit to one branch of the restaurant. All the ones I've been to have been good. Maybe take your voucher to a different branch if there is another one anywhere near you. Actually I recall my first ever visit to M&C the service was not great, but with staff turnover that branch became much better before very long.
 
Orikoru said:
What I'm saying is, this was one visit to one branch of the restaurant. All the ones I've been to have been good. Maybe take your voucher to a different branch if there is another one anywhere near you. Actually I recall my first ever visit to M&C the service was not great, but with staff turnover that branch became much better before very long.
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Trouble is Ori, I was at the course yesterday as said earlier and three other lads said exactly the same. The attached story on Jamie's place. Says it very well re national resturaunt chains.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48355861#share-tools
 
Problem was that people immediately get a feeling of being in a chain type cafe with pre-printed menus / branded drink options / decor by numbers / staff uniforms.

The prices were premium and the food only ok.

Very difficult to do a restaurant chain on this scale without either being 'cheap and cheerful' or trying to personalise every location so it has the feel of an independent run place.

Also, a problem for me is that as much as I enjoy Italian food, it is one of the few types of food that I believe is very easy to make at home. I would not enjoy paying restaurant prices for a a plate of spaghetti or penne pasta, when both me and the wife can knock up a decent pot of dinner with half a dozen ingredients for relative coppers.
 
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