STAFF at a major burger chain were given just three hours notice before the restaurant closed its doors forever.
Byron Burger announced it is closing nine restaurants after falling into administration earlier this month.
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Famously Proper, which owns Byron, said it will was axing 218 jobs as a result of the closures.
Jessica Robinson, who worked at the branch in Salisbury for five years, said she was given just three hours to fetch her personal belongings before the keys were handed over.
She told The Salisbury Journal that she first learned that the restaurant would be closing from a news article.
Her fiancé Jake Croughton, who worked as the head chef, said the burger chain received a fresh delivery just days before so the news came as a shock.
He told the Journal: “Everyone’s gutted. We were a massive family.”
Administrators Interpath Advisory declined to comment.
Famously Proper’s collapse was blamed on rises in costs, such as food and energy bills, as well as a reduction in consumer spending due to the current cost of living.
Administrators were appointed earlier this month and immediately, the business was sold to a new company Tristar Foods Limited.
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Here’s the full list of branches closing immediately:
The chain, which was founded in 2007, first collapsed back in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.
It hired administrators in the summer of 2020.
It was sold to Calveton, a private investment firm – but only 21 of Byron’s 51 branches stayed open.
The move also saw over 600 jobs axed.
Further popular chains including Las Iguanas, Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia also fell victim to the pandemic.
The ASK Italian and Zizzi owner Azzurri Group also closed 75 of its restaurants with 1,200 job losses after collapsing into insolvency.
In December 2022, pub chain Wetherspoons announced it would be closing a total of 39 pubs after being hit by soaring inflation.
Popular high street stationer Paperchase is also in talks with potential buyers after appointing administrators.
Your rights in redundancy
Companies can choose to cut their workforce and employees should understand their rights.
You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay, but only if you have worked at your job for two years or more.
The statutory rate is based on your age, weekly pay and number of years in the job.
You will get:
- Half a week’s pay for each full year you worked aged under 22
- One week’s pay for each full year you worked aged 22 or older, but under 41
- One and half week’s pay for each full year you worked while aged 41 or older.
But it’s capped at 20 years and the max redundancy pay you can get is currently £16,320.
Some companies may offer to pay more than the statutory amount. This will usually be in your contract.
Plus, you are still entitled to any pay you are owed for untaken holiday days at the end of your notice period.
The government has a calculator on its website to help you work out how much you are owed.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
