Frankie & Benny's
 | |
| Company type | New York-Italian 1950s themed restaurant chain |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 236[1] |
| Owner | The Restaurant Group |
| Website | www |
Frankie & Benny's is a chain of Italian-American-themed restaurants in the United Kingdom run by the Restaurant Group.[2][3] As of February 2020[update] it had 236 outlets nationwide.[1]
Story
The fictional story[4] is that in 1924, at the age of 10, Frankie Giuliani left Sicily with his parents and moved to “Little Italy” in New York City. Within a year of moving, the family had opened a restaurant, everybody helping with the building and the cooking in equal measure. Frankie went to the nearby high school and became lifelong friends with Benny, already a third-generation American. In the story, the business was taken over by Frankie and Benny in 1953. It combines popular American food with traditional Italian dishes.[5]
Owners, The Restaurant Group attempted to reinvent the brand in January 2017.[6] In 2019, 18 branches were closed and, in February 2020, The Restaurant Group announced that further closures were planned to take place by the end of 2021.[7]
Seven new vegan dishes were added to the menu in January 2020.[8]
On 3 June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, The Restaurant Group told employees a "large number" of its Frankie & Benny's outlets would not reopen after lockdown;[9] up to 120 restaurants were set to close permanently.[10]
Controversy
In 2014, a Frankie & Bennys customer complained after he was served a crab dish containing surimi. The item was eventually removed from the menu.[11]
In November 2015, the chain was given the lowest rating (red) in an assessment of the sustainability of its seafood products.[12]
In December 2017, an alcoholic drink was served to a four-year-old girl in a Warrington branch. A spokesman for the chain apologised for the incident which was described as a "genuine human error."[13]
References
- ^ a b "All Frankie & Benny's Restaurants". Frankie & Benny's. The Restaurant Group. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "The Restaurant Group". Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ Negus, Richard: "When trading down is affected by your good covenant" Journal of Retail & Leisure Property 6.1 (2007): page 84-91
- ^ "Frankie & Benny's". Frankie and Benny's. The Restaurant Group. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
Frankie Giuliani was 10 [when in 1924 his family] left Sicily [and] moved in with relatives in 'Little Italy' [and] the family opened a restaurant within a year, everybody helping with the building and the cooking in equal measure. [..] Frankie went to the nearby High School and became lifetime friends with Benny, already a third generation American. In 1953 Poppa retired and Frankie and Benny took over the business, combining the best of popular American food with traditional Italian dishes.
- ^ "Eating Out: Frankie & Benny's in Kidderminster". Birmingham Mail. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Sam Dean (25 January 2017). "Restaurant Group to revamp Frankie and Benny's menu as sales plunge". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Frankie & Benny's owner speeds up closures". BBC News. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Frankie & Benny's Introduce Meat-Free Mondays With All-New Vegan Menu". Vegan Life Magazine. Prime Impact Events & Media. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Jones, Lora (2 June 2020). "Frankie & Benny's owner: Some sites won't reopen". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ Butler, Sarah (3 June 2020). "Frankie & Benny's owner to permanently close 120 restaurants". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Lawrence, Felicity (2 May 2014). "Diner is left shellshocked over crab dish". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ Smithers, Rebecca (18 November 2015). "More than half of UK's family restaurant chains serving unsustainable seafood". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Warrington Frankie & Benny's serves girl, 4, alcohol". BBC News. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
External links
