THE Bolton branch of Prezzo will be spared the axe despite the restaurant chain announcing it is to close dozens of venues.

The Italian-themed eatery, based in The Vaults, at the Market Place Shopping Centre, will remain open despite plans to shut nearly a third of the sites nationwide.

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Some 94 restaurants will close across the country under a restructuring plan that will also result in the loss of about 500 jobs.

But Eva Hajduk, general manager at the Bolton branch, said the popular town centre venue was safe. She told The Bolton News: “We are definitely not closing, we are not on the list, it’s not affecting us at all.”

The company yesterday secured the backing of creditors for Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) which will allow it to vacate unprofitable branches and secure rent reductions.

Prezzo boss Jon Hendry-Pickup said: “I would like to thank our creditors and landlords for supporting our transformation plan.While we continue to be profitable, the pressures on our industry have been well documented.

“Despite this being a tough decision, the support given today by our creditors shows that they believe we have the right approach to transforming Prezzo in the eyes of teams, customers and stakeholders.

“It has been a challenging time during the CVA process and I would like to thank our suppliers, colleagues and customers for their patience and support.”

The 94 restaurants identified for closure are likely to shut in April and May, Prezzo has said staff will be made aware of the exact dates as soon as they have been confirmed.

The news comes at a bleak time for the high street and the casual dining sector in particular.This year has also seen burger chain Byron and Jamie’s Italian go into administration.

And, in a dismal first quarter for the UK high street, Carpetright has also announced the prospect of closing outlets while Moss Bros and Mothercare also in the doldrums.

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