There are fears over the future of Pizza Express amid reports it is preparing for talks with creditors over its huge debts.
The renowned restaurant chain has been a firm favourite for many since its inception in 1965 and has four sites in Bristol.
Its restaurant on Corn Street closed earlier this year and will be replaced with Indian street food brand Mowgli, which is due to open in December.
The group's most recent accounts show the chain's total debt was £1.12billion at the end of last year, according to The Mirror, working out at £1.79million a restaurant.
Of that, £655.6million is due to be repaid by August 2022 - a large chunk of it in August 2021.
Bristol Live contacted the chain's press office but a spokesperson declined to comment. Bloomberg said representatives for financial service firms Houlihan Lokey and Perella Weinberg also declined to comment.
Pizza Express has looked to expand beyond its core UK restaurant business in recent years through partnerships with supermarkets and Deliveroo in the UK, as well as looking at growth overseas.
It's also trying hard to beat the high street malaise with new menu ranges, new restaurant designs and even opening new sites.
Profits fell 7.7 per cent in the first half of the year, according to its most recent results, but still came in at to £32.4million as sales rose slightly.
Pizza Express chief executive Jinlong Wang said: "Intense competition in the casual dining sector encourages innovation and we are constantly seeking ways to increase appeal to new and existing customers.
"Looking ahead, whilst we expect both the UK and Ireland and International markets to remain challenging, we are confident in our ability to successfully appeal to customers and believe that we will continue to deliver a resilient performance across the remainder of 2019."
Hospitality industry expert Simon Mydlowski, a partner at Gordons law firm, said: "Pizza Express is seen by many as a more innovative, mainstream brand [than Jamie's Italian], but it is struggling with its cost base which is affecting the operating and profitability of the chain."
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