The Black Country's last Frankie & Benny's restaurant will close its doors in Dudley this weekend
A popular restaurant chain is to close its last restaurant in the Black Country this weekend.
Frankie & Benny's in Dudley will serve its last meal on Sunday (August 31) after more than 20 years in the town.
A spokesman for the chain said that, where possible, staff had been offered jobs elsewhere in the group.
The Italian-American style diner was one of the first restaurants to open at the Castlegate Leisure Park, shortly after it opened in 2001. It is also the chain's last restaurant in the Black Country, following the closure of the branch at the nearby Merry Hill centre in 2021.
Frankie & Benny's, known for its 1950s-style decor and rock 'n' roll music, once had restaurants across the West Midlands, including sites in Walsall, Lichfield, Stafford, Kidderminster, Telford and Shrewsbury. But these branches all closed following the coronavirus lockdown.
A spokesman for the company said it had failed to agree a new lease on the building, which is close to the Showcase Cinema.
He said the chain would be looking for a new site in the vicinity.
The spokesman said: “We are saddened at the closure of our popular Dudley restaurant, unfortunately the lease on this restaurant expired and despite our best efforts, new terms could not be agreed.
“We would like to thank our fantastic team at Dudley who have done an amazing job there and where possible, have been offered positions at nearby restaurants either within the brand or within The Big Table group.
“This particular restaurant was in operation for many years and loved by our guests but don’t worry, we are always actively looking for nearby locations and will be back soon."
The 4,000 sq ft restaurant is now on the market for a rent of £100,000 a year.
