Family favourite fast food chain abruptly closes ‘incredible site’ leaving shoppers ‘heartbroken’
A FAMILY favourite fast food chain has abruptly closed an “incredible” site leaving shoppers “heartbroken”.
Japanese takeaway chain Itsu has 77 branches across the country, including in Brighton, Leeds and Exeter.
It sells everything from sushi, salads and noodle dishes for hungry shoppers on-the-go.
But customers in Staines will now need to find a new restaurant as the branch in the Two Rivers Shopping Centre closed for the final time yesterday (October 18).
In a statement on Facebook, the centre said; “Sadly, itsu will be closing at Two Rivers as of Saturday evening.
“Keep your eyes peeled on our social media for some very exciting coming soon news.”
Locals took to Facebook to share their disappointment at hearing the news.
One customer said: “Awww, what a shame.”
Another added: “What! Love an Itsu. Please don’t bring in another unhealthy food place.”
A third cried: “It’s a shame for those who work there.”
While a fourth wrote: “So disappointed! I love Itsu!
“My nine-year-old son will be heartbroken. Whenever we are in Staines he only wanted to eat at Itsu.”
In the Google reviews, the restaurant has been described as “incredible” with “lovely and helpful staff”.
The Sun has contacted Itsu for comment.
More local closures
Itsu isn’t the only chain to have closed a bench in Staines recently.
Argos closed its branch in the market town in February ahead of its move into a local Sainsbury’s supermarket.
TGI Fridays shut its restaurant in Staines after it collapsed into administration.
It was among 35 locations that closed with immediate effect, leading to the loss of 1,000 jobs.
Carpetright also shut its branch in the town in July as part of a a pre-pack administration deal. It resulted in the closure of 213 stores.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
HOSPITALITY WOES
The hospitality sector has struggled to bounce back after the pandemic, facing challenges including soaring energy bills, inflation and staff shortages.
In January 2023, Byron Burger fell into administration with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Around 12 branches were saved in a rescue deal with Tristar Foods, which is owned by Calveton.
The Restaurant Group (TRG), which owned Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Wagamama, shut dozens of sites in the same year.
It then went on to sell its Frankie & Bennys and Chiquito brands to Cafe Rouge owner The Big Table group in September 2023.
Italian restaurant chain Prezzo also closed dozens of sites last year.
In April 2024, Tasty, the owners of Italian restaurant Wildwood and Dim T, a pan-Asian restaurant, announced plans to exit around 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
In the same month, Whitbread revealed plans to slash its chain of branded restaurants across the UK.
Pub giant Stonegate has also raised fears about its survival as it races to plug its debts.
Britain’s “rudest restaurant” went bust in September after its parent company, Viral Ventures UK, reportedly racked up more than £400,000 worth of debt.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories