STRADA: Struggling Italian chain, Strada, to 'close a number of restaurants'

The chain is said to close ten of its locations, representing more than a third of its restaurants, reported The Telegraph.Stores that have already closed include: Blackheath, Camden, Cardiff, Clapham, Cobham, Harpenden, Newbury and York while the one in Birmingham may also close this month.Strada told WalesOnline: "Following a comprehensive review, it is with regret that we are closing a number of our Strada restaurants as they are no longer viable as Stradas in this increasingly competitive market."Where possible, we are converting the sites to new formats or selling them to other operators but, in some cases, recent increases in rents and rates, coupled with government-decreed rises in wage costs, make it very difficult to operate profitably a full-service restaurant serving fresh food."We hate closing restaurants and so this has been a difficult decision."We also appreciate that this will be a tough time for our team members and local communities alike."In September 2014, Sun Capital Partners purchased the Strada brand, which operates 43 restaurants, for £37m from Café Rouge owner, Tragus Group.