A CELEBRITY chef’s restaurant chain has abruptly closed two of its flagship venues, The Sun has learned.
Marco Pierre White’s restaurant Mr White’s Steak, Pizza and Gin House, located in London’s iconic West End, has cancelled all upcoming customer reservations and says it is closed for the foreseeable future.
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Meanwhile, Marco Pierre White‘s Steakhouse Bar & Grill in Cardiff has permanently closed.
The venues are part of the restaurant business of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, a renowned TV personality and the youngest ever chef to be awarded three Michelin Stars.
He is also known for training celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
The restaurant group bearing his name currently operates around 29 outlets across the UK.
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However, Mr White himself isn’t involved in the day-to-day running of the restaurants – they are operated by franchisee business Black and White Hospitality.
Mr White’s had previously told customers via email that it would be shut between January 1 and January 14 for maintenance works.
However, as of today (January 17) the restaurant is still closed with no sign of reopening.
Customers with bookings in February and beyond received an email last week saying their reservation had been cancelled because the restaurant is still closed on those dates.
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It’s now impossible to book the restaurant online as it says it’s closed indefinitely.
When The Sun enquired about booking the venue on February 9, a spokesperson on social media said: “Unfortunately the restaurant is closed and therefore we will be unable to accommodate the booking.”
Meanwhile, the restaurant’s reservations email address bounces back and its phone line goes straight to voicemail.
Representation for Mr White’s refused to confirm or deny whether it had closed for good when asked by The Sun.
When we asked via social media when the venue is reopening, a spokesperson said: “We are only aware of the reservations being cancelled at this time, we do apologise.”
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Mr White’s is one of several venues across London and sits in the heart of the West End, a hot spot for fans of the theatre and tourists alike.
The popular restaurant hosted a ticket-only New Year’s Eve party, making its quietly prolonged closure all the more surprising.
One customer who received an email last week cancelling her reservation said: “Booking cancelled. No call back. No email reply. I’m disappointed and disgusted.”
Another customer who had a booking for this month complained he turned up on the day to find the outlet closed with no prior warning.
“Having travelled in to London specially with a confirmed booking, we were surprised to find the restaurant closed,” he said.
“No notification to us in advance – just a waste of time and travel costs.”
Meanwhile, Marco Pierre White’s Cardiff restaurant appears to have shut for good in December.
It follows the closure of its sister restaurant in Swansea early last year.
One customer who had bought a voucher for the Cardiff restaurant said: “I purchased Black Friday vouchers mid November hoping to eat in Cardiff restaurant, which was still trading into December.
“However, when trying to make reservations for January found the restaurant had been permanently closed!
“I was basically told no refund as terms and conditions of vouchers state they will not honour if the restaurant closes.”
In the terms and conditions online, Marco Pierre White Restaurants states vouchers can be used at any “open” restaurant, so if your preferred venue is closed you need to use the voucher elsewhere.
Vouchers are one of the big selling points for all the restaurants in the group, which are on the pricier side.
At Mr White’s, steaks start at £26 and a burger is around £21, while sides come in at £5 each.
But diners can get deals through third-party websites like Buyagift, Virgin Experience Days or Red Letter Days to enjoy fine dining across Marco Pierre White Restaurants at a discounted price.
These vouchers are often sold even cheaper during events like Black Friday, so for example you can bag a £100 dining voucher for £60 cash.
However, vouchers bought on sale usually have a short time frame in which they can be used.
For any bought in last year’s Black Friday, they need to be used up by March this year.
A social media spokesperson for Mr White’s said customers with a voucher should contact [email protected], which will get in touch to discuss their options.
Black and White Hospitality has been contacted for comment.
Marco Pierre White Restaurants is not the only celebrity-branded chain to shut venues lately.
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Ex-masterchef finalist Tony Rodd was forced to close his restaurant Copper & Ink earlier this month after he reportedly received a “terrifying” £80,000 energy bill.
Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr closed the doors on iconic restaurant Gavroche on Saturday after 56 years. The restaurant helped launch the career of Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay.
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