An upmarket Italian restaurant chain which has a branch in Wolverhampton has closed its Birmingham city centre business.

Don Salvo in Temple Street is thought to have run up debts of £23,000. It was opened 18 months ago.

The Wolverhampton outlet, which was launched by Finchfield-based owner Salvo Drago-Ferrante, remains open for business but the Birmingham branch has been closed down by bailiffs, after bosses racked up debts on the lease. Suppliers are also thought to be owed money.

The shutters were pulled down on the restaurant on Friday, after a legal notice was posted in the window of the premises, based in the ground floor of Somerset House.

Leicester-based PR and marketing company Fuelled Media was appointed to represent the Birmingham restaurant in July but a spokesman for the firm refused to comment on the situation.

London-based solicitors Lovells represent the landlords which had leased the premises to Emilio Largo Ltd, trading as Don Salvo.

Lovells spokesman Stephen Rowe said: “On Wednesday, October 22, our client took steps to forfeit the lease of the premises. We are not in a position to comment further on the status of Emilio Largo Ltd.”

Don Salvo opened up its Temple Street branch in Birmingham opposite one of the city’s best-know Italian restaurants, San Carlo.

It became the third outlet in the chain following on from franchises in Wolverhampton and another based in the Mailbox in Birmingham, which has also since closed.

It was aimed at a high end Italian market, with an a la carte menu offering dishes priced up to £18, as well as pasta and pizza. A fixed priced Sunday lunch menu cost £15.95.

The established Wolverhampton restaurant in Darlington Street remains open for business, with firm directors due to hold a meeting there later today to update staff on the situation.

The branch opened in 2006 in place of popular restaurant Geppetto’s after a £300,000 makeover. Mr Drago-Ferrante, from Finchfield, was unavailable for comment.