Chiquito restaurant chain has officially gone into administration as owners struggle to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak .
There is a Chiquito restaurant on Edge Lane in Liverpool, as well as in Southport , Cheshire Oaks and Chester, which could be at risk.
Owners, The Restaurant Group, which also has Wagamama and Frankie & Benny’s, said it would also be shutting its Food and Fuel chain of pubs in London, reports the Mirror.
The move comes less than a week after the company said sales plummeted 12.5% over two weeks, and as bars and restaurants across the country struggle to cope with closures put in place by the government during the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 1,500 jobs are likely to be affected as a total of 60 Chiquto sites could close for good.
A spokesman for The Restaurant Group said: "Covid-19 has had an immediate and significant impact on trading across the Group.
"We have conducted a review of the performance of our business divisions, with a particular focus on the expected future cash generation profile of each of our business units."
He added that both groups are expected to hit losses this year, "as a result, the Group has taken the very difficult decision to appoint administrators for Food & Fuel Limited and filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator for Chiquito Limited.
"The decisions have been incredibly difficult and we recognise the significant impact on all of our colleagues that are affected.
"We thank them for their hard work and commitment during these very testing times."
Marston’s, which runs 1,400 pubs across the country, and Mitchells & Butlers, owners of Toby Carvery and All Bar One, have also warned that they are struggling.
