Ask Italian in Fareham confirms permanent closure with 'deep sadness' due to coronavirus pandemic

Ask Italian in West Street, a modern restaurant chain serving long, stone-baked pizzas and antipasto on wooden boards, is among 75 restaurants in the group that will not be reopening after closing in March due to the pandemic.

The company said it was with ‘deep sadness’ it had been forced to close its Fareham branch with it no longer ‘viable’ to continue after the business was brought to a grinding halt.

Ask confirmed the closure in a statement to The News, which said: ‘The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill.

‘Despite being a successful operator, we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions including the permanent closure of a number of sites.

REVIEW: What The News' Dish Detective made of Ask in Fareham

‘It is with deep sadness that we confirm Fareham to be amongst these closures and that we have had to say goodbye to a team of greatly valued employees and their much-loved customers.

‘As things stand it was not viable to remain in our existing site but we do hope that one day we will return to the town.’

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As reported, the owner of the Zizzi and Ask Italian restaurant chains announced earlier this month it is to close 75 restaurants – with hundreds of jobs at stake.

The Azzurri Group, which also owns the Coco di Mama pasta chain, has been sold out of administration to investment firm TowerBrook Capital Partners.

The deal will see 225 restaurants and shops continue to operate, protecting around 5,000 jobs, but 75 restaurants will shut for good – with Ask in Fareham now confirmed to be among them.

Azzurri Group chief executive Steve Holmes said: ‘Looking forwards, TowerBrook is a strong new partner who shares our ambitions for the future.

‘Their additional investment has enabled us to preserve the majority of our restaurants, stores and jobs and I am confident that, under TowerBrook’s ownership, Azzurri will navigate the period ahead successfully.’

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