Byron burger chain ‘will SHUT 31 restaurants and make more than 600 staff redundant’ in yet another blow to high street economy
- Company has reportedly been sold in a pre-pack administration to Calveton
- Byron employee told MailOnline redundancies are ‘effective immediately’
- Restaurant group had earlier filed notice of intention to appoint administrators
Byron burger chain ‘will shut 31 restaurants and make more than 600 staff redundant’ in yet another blow to the high street economy.
The company has been sold in a pre-pack administration to Calveton and will cut over half of its 1200-strong workforce, according to Sky News.
An employee at Byron also told MailOnline the redundancies would be made ‘effective immediately’.
The burger company has reportedly been sold in a pre-pack administration to Calveton and will cut over half of its 1200-strong workforce
Former Chancellor George Osborne once tweeted a picture of him eating a Byron burger in June 2013, on the evening before he launched his spending review
The member of staff said the chain has been ‘sold to investors’, with 31 restaurants not included in the sale.
They told MailOnline: ‘I knew it was coming to be fair but it’s not great to be left out at the last minute, I think a lot of people feel like that.
‘They said they’ve been trying to do everything they could but I think people just feel very betrayed. They have no income now or jobs.
‘Most have been working there for about a year so they won’t be paid as you have to work two years, so it’s ridiculous.
‘They said the Government is going to pay for it. They suggested that they sign a job seekers allowance today.’
The employee then claimed: ‘They sold it to investors and then 31 restaurants have not been included in the sale, and everyone working at those restaurants have been made redundant, effective immediately.’
The upmarket chain, which was launched in 2007 and has 51 UK restaurants, has played host to a number of notable figures, with George Osborne tweeting a picture of himself eating a Byron burger in June 2013.
Prince Harry also took his ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas out for a burger at the chain’s branch in Kensington High Street in 2014.
An employee at Byron told MailOnline the redundancies would be made ‘effective immediately’. The member of staff also said many people feel ‘betrayed’
It follows Byron filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators last month as it held talks with three potential buyers.
In May, KPMG was instructed to help Byron explore the Government’s Covid support initiatives and then to look at securing new investment for the business.
Covid hit at a frustrating time for Byron, with the company entering the ninth month of a turnaround plan – and it was forced to halt a refurbishment programme.
The business also placed all hourly employees on minimum-hour payment terms in an attempt to ensure they were protected during the lockdown.
Byron closed all of its sites from March 18, two days before it was forced to by the Government and five days before the full lockdown was brought in.
The chain delivered a gross profit of nearly £32million in the 2019 financial year, having made a loss of more than £42million in the previous year.
MailOnline has contacted KPMG, who declined to comment, and Byron Burgers.