Major brand restaurant at busy spot in Northampton closes its doors for good

A major brand restaurant has closed its doors for good in a busy part of Northampton.

Mexican restaurant Chiquito, in Sixfields, permanently closed down on Sunday (September 17), according to a member of staff at the site.

A message on the entrance doors reads: “Hola Amigo – due to stock shortages and today being our last day of trading we have had to make the difficult decision to close earlier than planned. We thank you for your custom. Adios.”

The Chiquito and Frankie and Benny’s brands, owned by The Restaurant Group (TRG), are currently in the process of being sold to The Big Table Group (BTG), which owns the Bella Italia, Las Iguanas and Banana Tree brands.

The Frankie and Benny’s and Chiquito sites across the UK, of which there are 75 restaurants and the staff who work there, will now belong to BTG. TRG is also giving £7.5 million in cash to BTG as part of the deal, according to TRG.

The decision to sell the two brands are part of TRG's plan to focus on its more successful businesses, such as Wagamama, and reduce debt.

This deal will be completed in early Q4 of this year, according to TRG.

It is not yet known what will happen with the empty Chiquito unit in Sixfields. BTG has been contacted for comment.

Frankie and Benny’s in Riverside Retail Park is still ‘business as usual’, according to a member of staff at the site.

Alan Morgan, CEO of BTG, said: “Creating, developing and acquiring brands that complement our existing portfolio whilst offering widespread consumer appeal is a fundamental part of our growth strategy. This exciting acquisition forms part of that strategy and we are delighted to be welcoming this new team into The Big Table Group."

Andy Hornby, CEO of TRG, said: “On behalf of TRG, I would like to express our massive thanks to the extraordinarily hardworking and dedicated teams across the leisure business who have made huge improvements in the customer proposition over the last few years. We wish them all well as part of the BTG."

TRG is also in the process of converting its former Firejacks site in Sixfields into a brand new Wagamama restaurant, which will create 70 jobs in the area.