Another Richmond town centre restaurant faces an uncertain future.

Zizzi in King Street has yet to reopen since closing for the Covid-19 lockdown.

The owner of both Zizzi and Ask Italian chains, The Azzurri Group, has said it will shut 75 restaurants across the UK.

The closures will affect 1,200 jobs.

The news comes shortly after it was announced that Pizza Express was closing the same number of branches.

The Azzurri Group was saved from administration after it was bought by TowerBrook Capital Partners.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a "profound" impact on the chain of Italian restaurants.

Incredibly difficult decisions

The Azzurri Group's chief executive Steve Holmes said: "The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill.

"Despite being a successful operator, the immediate loss of revenue during lockdown meant that we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions to protect the business for the long term.

"It is with deep sadness that this process will result in the permanent closure of a number of sites and that we must say goodbye to greatly valued employees across our brands."

Message from Team Zizzi

A notice on the door of Richmond's Zizzi restaurant reads: "We have chosen to temporarily close this Zizzi until further notice, following the Covid-19 outbreak and the government advice on social distancing.

"We hope to see you back for pizza, pasta and good times soon.

"Team Zizzi."