London – Jamie Oliver’s flagship restaurant in Turkey could be forced to close only 14 months after it opened.
Located in the £1.7billion Zorlu Center mall, the Istanbul branch of Jamie’s Italian is the chain’s largest restaurant outside Britain.
Despite the prominent location, it has been unable to hit sales targets.
Representatives of the branch told a bankruptcy hearing they were experiencing financial difficulties, it has been reported.
The representatives are said to have told the hearing they plan to cut staff and invest more money in the venture. They are thought to have cited Turkey’s tough economic climate as the cause.
However, Ozgur Altug, chief economist at BGC Partners, said ‘almost all other restaurants and chains are going fine’ and ‘Turks do not hesitate to eat out, even in tough times’.
A spokesman for Oliver said the Istanbul branch will not be closing and added: ‘Jamie’s Italian is working closely with its Turkish partners to resolve the situation in Istanbul.’
Daily Mail