Hundreds of jobs lost as Ed's Easy Diner closes 26 sites

Almost 400 jobs will be cut across Ed's Easy Diner locations with the closure of 26 of the chain's restaurants, including four out of the five based in Scotland.

Scotland will be left with one Ed's Easy Diner following the closures. Picture: Contributed

The cost cutting follows the sale of the brand to the restaurant arm of food mogul Ranjit Boparan. Giraffe Concepts, which is owned by Boparan Restaurant Holdings, will slash 379 jobs as part of a pre-packaged administration deal.

A total of 26 of the existing 59 restaurants are to close with immediate effect, although the agreement also helps secure some 700 posts at the remaining outlets and head office.

Restaurants in Aberdeen, Edinburgh’s Fort Kinnaird shopping park, Inverness and Livingston are shutting their doors – leaving Glasgow St Enoch as the sole remaining Scottish location.

As part of the sale process, Rob Croxen and Blair Nimmo from KPMG were appointed joint administrators to Ed’s Easy Diner Group Limited, Ed’s Easy Diner Holdings Limited and Ed’s Easy Diner Overseas Limited. Immediately upon their appointment, the joint administrators concluded a pre-packaged sale of the business and certain assets.

Croxen, a partner at KPMG, said: “While we are pleased the transaction preserves around 700 jobs, our immediate priority in the coming days will be to liaise with those employees who have been affected by redundancy and ensure that in addition to receiving all back pay owed, they are provided with any assistance they need.”

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