Outlets of a retro diner chain in Inverness and Aberdeen have closed after Ed’s Easy Diner went into administration.
The firm, which opened its eatery in Inverness’ Eastgate mall just last year, has been bought by food tycoon Ranjit Boparan. The deal will save 33 restaurants and 700 jobs across the UK-wide chain, but a further 26 diners will close immediately with the loss of 379 jobs.
Mr Boparan, who owns the Giraffe cafe chain as well as fish and chips restaurants Harry Ramsden’s, bought the Ed’s Diner chain in a “pre-pack” deal immediately after KPMG was appointed as administrators. The multi-millionaire businessman is also known as the “chicken king” through his ownership of 2 Sisters Food Group, which became Scotland’s biggest poultry processor after buying 11 UK red meat and poultry processing sites from the Vion Food Group in 2013 in a deal worth nearly £38million.
Ed’s Easy Diners had been a fast-growing restaurant group with 59 restaurants across the UK. Its chief executive Andrew Guy had come back to the role from retirement early this year after plans to sell the group for £90million were shelved when it failed to reach the asking price. Mr Guy had led a buyout of the chain in 2009 when it had only three outlets, including its original site in London’s Soho which had been established in 1987.
Rob Croxen and Blair Nimmo from KPMG were appointed joint administrators to Ed’s Easy Diner Group Limited (EEDGL), Ed’s Easy Diner Holdings Limited (EEDHL) and Ed’s Easy Diner Overseas Limited (EEDOL). Mr Boparan’s restaurant firm, Giraffe Concepts, part of Boparan Restaurant Holdings, is the new owner of the chain.
Mr Croxen, said: “While we are pleased the transaction preserves around 700 jobs, our immediate priority in the coming days will be to liaise with those employees who have been affected by redundancy and ensure that in addition to receiving all back pay owed, they are provided with any assistance they need.”
