Boss of Jamie Oliver's restaurant empire admits 'complacency' led to Italian chain's woes

Jamie Oliver
The company acknowledged the Jamie’s Italian brand had become removed from the celebrity chef in the eyes of consumers Credit:  Sam Robinson

The new boss of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant empire has admitted that complacency and a lack of investment in its Italian branded chain forced it to launch its recent rescue plan.

Jonathan Knight, who took on the top job in October having run the company’s international division for two years, said his “root and branch” review of Jamie’s Italian showed the chain had failed to adapt to keep up with the competition and that last year signs emerged the UK business "was in trouble".

He added that newer sites had been opened in towns and cities which did not have colleges or universities and were not on the tourist trail – something entirely contrary to the brief the business set itself at launch a decade ago.

“The business became complacent and did not take notice of the competition and what they were doing,” Mr Knight said.

“Our competition all started to look the same as us and we had allowed that to happen. Other brands were doing what we were doing but with the added benefit of being new and exciting.”

Jamie’s Italian this month agreed with its creditors and landlords to shut 12 sites and pay reduced rent on others for up to two years. Mr Knight said this had been a “tough decision” but that without it the business would have collapsed, leading to around 1,900 job losses. 

He also said while its growing international franchise business was essentially isolated from the UK, “there was a risk of contagion” if nothing was done.

Mr Knight said growth at Jamie Oliver’s wider restaurant business, which includes a deli and a diner concept, would likely come through this international franchise business as well as via sites at airports, like the Italian and Diner sites it has at Gatwick airport.

Elsewhere, Mr Knight acknowledged the Jamie’s Italian brand had become removed from the celebrity chef in the eyes of consumers but that this would change now.

The restaurant business will relocate to the same office as Jamie Oliver’s wider business interests, which Mr Knight hoped would mean the chef’s personality would be more visible in the chain.

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