Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Jamie Oliver is staging a remarkable comeback for his Italian restaurant chain in the United Kingdom, six years after its dramatic collapse into insolvency. The revival comes at a particularly challenging time for the hospitality sector, which Oliver himself describes as a "horror show" of soaring costs and dwindling consumer demand.
A Cautious Return with a New Strategy
The chef, who rose to fame in the late 1990s with his simple recipes and bestselling cookbooks, plans to open the first site of the revived Jamie’s Italian brand in London’s Leicester Square in February 2025. This time, Oliver is adopting a significantly different approach. Instead of bearing the full financial risk, he has entered into a franchise agreement with Brava Hospitality Group, the company behind the Prezzo chain. This deal will see Oliver earn a portion of the restaurants' profits while leveraging his partner's operational expertise.
This strategic shift follows the painful failure of the original venture. In 2019, Jamie’s Italian went into administration, a form of UK insolvency, forcing the closure of all 25 restaurants. The collapse resulted in the loss of more than 1,000 jobs and left creditors with heavy losses. Oliver has acknowledged past missteps, admitting he was too "boisterous" and opened locations that were larger than necessary, leaving the business vulnerable to shifts in the market.
Navigating a 'Horror Show' for Hospitality
Oliver's return coincides with intense pressure on the UK restaurant industry. Consumers are eating out less frequently, squeezed by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The sector also faces a perfect storm of rising expenses, including a higher minimum wage, increased national insurance contributions, and soaring business rates set to hit many establishments next year. The decline of the traditional British high street adds another layer of difficulty for brick-and-mortar businesses.
"When the high street decline happened, when the Uberization of food happened, we were too big, too stuck, and not able to adjust," Oliver reflected in an interview. "With hindsight on my side now, we’re going again. There’s a lot to gain, but a lot to lose." He expressed frustration with recent government decisions affecting hospitality, stating that no restaurateur is pleased with the current policy landscape.
Betting on Fresh Pasta and Customer Loyalty
Despite the bleak outlook, Oliver believes there is still an appetite for his brand. The new Jamie’s Italian will focus on fresh pasta and crowd favourites like prawn linguine to attract budget-conscious diners. The chef is also counting on loyalty programs to draw in customers seeking an affordable dining-out experience.
"Ultimately, people going out and spending money is about confidence," Oliver said. "People aren’t going to come if they can’t afford it." The relaunch will begin cautiously with a single location, with Oliver taking a more active role in approving sites and rents. If successful, the plan could expand to four new restaurants per year. Notably, the international Jamie's Italian business, which operates under separate franchise agreements, was unaffected by the 2019 UK insolvency.
This revival marks a pivotal chapter for the 50-year-old chef, who saw his other ventures, including a chain of cookery shops and British-themed restaurants, close in previous years. Profits from his enduringly successful media business helped cushion the earlier financial blows. Now, with a leaner model and a franchise partner, Jamie Oliver is betting that lessons learned from a costly failure will pave the way for a sustainable second act for his iconic Italian chain.
