Franco Manca has officially announced the full list of its pizza restaurants that are set to close, with more than 200 jobs at risk. The chain's owners revealed last month that some of its 70 locations would shut down, attributing the decision to 'disproportionately high' taxes and insufficient business rates relief in the UK.
Branches Affected by the Closures
The 16 branches being axed have now been confirmed, following approval from over 90 percent of creditors as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) process aimed at repaying debts. Half of the closures are in London, including the chain's original restaurant in Brixton, which opened in 2008 on a site that has housed a pizzeria since 1986. Other London locations set to close include Battersea, Broadway Market, Chiswick, Kilburn, New Oxford Street, Stoke Newington, and Tottenham Court Road.
Outside the capital, casualties include branches in Bishop's Stortford, Bromley, Cheltenham, Didsbury, Glasgow, Hove, Lincoln, and Plymouth.
Company Restructuring and Impact
Last week, Franco Manca's parent company, Fulham Shore, placed its sister brand, The Real Greek, into administration. The Real Greek was immediately acquired by Cote owner Karali Group, but nine of its 28 restaurants were also closed. Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, expressed gratitude for creditor support, stating: 'Franco Manca is a fantastic brand with a strong heritage and loyal customer base. With this agreement in place, we will put the business back on a firm footing and press ahead with strengthening our customer offer and performance.'
Paul Berkovi, managing director of Alvarez & Marsal, added: 'Today's vote saw a significant majority of the company's creditors support the CVA, reflecting constructive engagement across stakeholders. Against a challenging backdrop for the sector, this is an important step for Franco Manca, enabling the business to complete its financial restructuring and secure the platform for its operational transformation.'
Background and Financial Pressures
Franco Manca originated from a pizzeria in Brixton called Franco's, acquired by founders Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo in 2008. The company was bought by Fulham Shore in 2015, which was later acquired by Japanese food conglomerate Toridoll Holdings in 2023 for £93.4 million. Toridoll's filings for April to December 2025 showed Fulham Shore's revenue down 5.4 percent year-on-year, with sales and profits marked as 'bad'.
Mr. Khan previously highlighted that even restaurants 'doing all the right things' are vulnerable to government-imposed financial pressures, including national insurance hikes, minimum wage increases, and the UK's 20 percent VAT rate. He stated: '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.'
He added: '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.'
