Theatreland mainstay Spaghetti House has shut all its remaining London restaurants after its parent company went bust, leaving 101 staff members out of work.
Its final five spots in Marble Arch, Carnaby Street, Oxford Street, Kensington High Street and Cranbourn Street have now closed after a financially strained few years.
Founded in 1955 by Simone Lavarini, the well-known Italian chain was run by the family throughout its 70-year lifespan.
Luigi Lavarini, who heads the chain’s parent company Lavval Restaurants, blamed global and domestic politics for the company’s fall into administration.
He said: ‘Years of increasing costs from the pandemic, Brexit, Government budgets, and global instability have created difficult market conditions for hospitality.
‘Balancing these costs with reduced demand and spending from customers as they navigate the rising cost of living has proven too challenging.
‘Despite best efforts and seeking professional advice, we have had to make this difficult but necessary decision to wind down our business.’
Its first-ever location in Goodge Street, opened by Lavarini and his friend Lorenzo Fraquelli, closed months ago, along with locations in Mayfair and Fitzrovia.
Aside from its famous pasta, the Italian eatery grabbed the public’s attention in 1975 when its Knightsbridge branch was held hostage by three robbers following a failed robbery.
Corporate administrators BTG were brought in to help wind down the business.
Asher Miller, partner at BTG, said: ‘After a number of years of challenging market conditions worsened by soaring operational, employment, energy and tax costs affecting the hospitality industry, the directors of Lavval Restaurants approached BTG for advice on their available options.
‘Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the directors made the difficult decision to enter administration and appoint us to manage the controlled wind-down of the business.’