![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Jamies-Italian-Edinburgh.png\")
TV chef Jamie Oliver is resurrecting his collapsed Italian restaurant chain, despite admitting the sector faces a hostile trading environment.<\/p>\n
His chain of Italian-themed outlets fell into administration six years ago under structural problems but he believes it is time to launch something exciting on to the market.<\/p>\n
He has entered a franchise partnership with Brava Hospitality Group, the owner of Prezzo.<\/p>\n
Oliver plans to open the first site in Leicester Square in London in February and is targeting four new restaurants a year.<\/p>\n
Jamie\u2019s Italian had outlets in Edinburgh and Glasgow and it is likely he will look at a return to Scotland.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a chef, having the chance to return to the high street is incredibly important\u00a0to me,\u201d said Oliver, 50.<\/p>\n
He admitted to Bloomberg,\u00a0which first reported the development, that the mid-market was facing a \u201chorror show\u201d of higher costs and fragile demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn theory it\u2019s not the easiest time to return but conversely I think it\u2019s the perfect time. I believe the mid-market needs excitement, surprise and delight and that\u2019s exactly what I am planning on delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consumersare eating out less frequently and trading down when they do. Since the collapse of Jamie\u2019s Italian more have turned to home delivery services such as Deliveroo and Just Eat.<\/p>\n
However, he believes a more disciplined version of the Jamie\u2019s Italian brand and something \u201cexciting\u201d will fire up consumers\u2019 appetite for his new venture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the public wants freshly made delicious food at a reasonable price with an award-winning kids menu,\u201d he said. \u201cEating out is a treat but I believe it should offer value for money with higher welfare sourcing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie\u2019s Italian launched in 2008, promising affordable Italian dishes and grew into a chain with 42 sites across the UK.<\/p>\n
The business collapsed into administration in 2019, shutting 22 restaurants and cutting about 1,000 jobs. Oliver later acknowledged that the chain had been flawed \u201cfrom day one\u201d, admitting he had been \u201cconceptually thick\u201d on the numbers and had delegated too much control over the basics, from profit margins to cost management.<\/p>\n
He will take a more hands-on approach this time, approving locations, overseeing the look and feel of the restaurant, and taking responsibility for menus and sourcing. \u201cAll the effort, time, love and attention will be the same as before,\u201d he said, \u201cbut with the right foundations in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
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