Branch of major chain is forced to close after being hit with ZERO star hygiene rating
A branch of Bella Italia in Plymouth has been forced to close after it was hit with a zero food hygiene rating and ordered to make urgent improvements.
The Bella Italia eatery at the Barbican Leisure Park has announced that it is now permanently closed.
The restaurant has operated at the Cattedown attraction for more than 10 years and survived a huge cull of outlets, which saw the Derry's Cross Bella Italia restaurant close, in 2020.
But it has now shut too and a message to customers on the chain's website said: 'Bella Italia Plymouth, Barbican Leisure, is now closed.'
It added: 'It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of our Bella Italia restaurant in Plymouth. We want to take this moment to thank you for your loyalty, your laughter and the many memories you've helped us create over the years.'
It directed customers to visit the next nearest Bella Italia, in Exeter, or 'sister-brand' Frankie and Benny's, also at the Barbican Leisure Park.
No explanation was given for the closure, but it comes just a month after the chain, owned by The Big Table Group, said it would close its branch in Darlington at the end of a lease period in July.
The Plymouth closure also comes seven months after the restaurant was told urgent improvements were necessary following an inspection in October 2024.
Inspectors found the restaurant, also trading as Supa Nonna delivery service, needed urgent improvement with regards to the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, as well as the management of food safety.
At the time, a Bella Italia spokesperson said 'immediate corrective actions' had been carried out and that safety of guests was a 'top priority'. The spokesperson said the chain was 'deeply disappointed' to have received a zero score.
It was said that the Plymouth team was working closely with Plymouth City Council to 'demonstrate the strength of our practices and ensure we quickly restore our food hygiene rating to the high standard we expect in all of our restaurants and that our guests deserve'.
The Bella Italia restaurant at Derry's Cross shut in 2020 as one of 91 closures resulting from the administration of the Casual Dining Group. The unit, after being empty for years, is now used as offices by Plymouth City Council.
Earlier this month it was announced that a new restaurant called Fry's Grillhouse will open at the Barbican Leisure Park in a unit empty since the Chiquito chain pulled out about five years ago.
Last year a Manchester United themed cafe has been handed a zero-star hygiene rating after being found of having a rat infestation.
The United Cafe - which is decorated with the Red Devils' colours and located just a few hundred yards away from Old Trafford - is popular among match-going fans.
According to The Metro, the cafe voluntarily closed after discovering the pests, before a hygiene inspector ordered them to carry out a deep clean and undertake proofing work.
Along with the United Cafe, a next-door venue named Legends also closed down voluntarily at the time due to the infestation.
According to a report by Trafford Council, a full inspection was undertaken in August, which involved examining the cafe's cleaning procedures and hazard analysis.
Under a list of key points, the inspector wrote: 'Visit due to issues with rat activity in the area. Both premises closed voluntarily due to rat infestation.'
According to the council's report, work to remediate the pest infestation had to be carried out before the venues reopened.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Major Italian restaurant chain forced to close another branch after being hit with ZERO star hygiene rating
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRANCH of a major Italian restaurant chain has closed permanently after being hit with a zero star hygiene rating. The Bella Italia at the Barbican Leisure Park in Plymouth has become the latest branch to shut its doors. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Bella Italia at the Darlington DL1 complex Credit: Bella Italia A statement shared on the chain's website says: "Bella Italia Plymouth, Barbican Leisure, is now closed. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of our Bella Italia restaurant in Plymouth. "We want to take this moment to thank you for your loyalty, your laughter and the many memories you've helped us create over the years." No immediate explanation was given for the restaurant's closure. But it comes after it was told urgent improvements were needed following a hygiene inspection in October 2024. Bella Italia spokesperson said at the time that "immediate corrective actions" had been carried out - and that guest safety is a "top priority". However, despite this, the restaurant has now closed its doors for good. It comes just one month after the chain announced it would close its Darlington branch in July. A spokesperson for the chain paid tribute to the "fantastic" branch staff. They said: "We can confirm that our restaurant in Darlington will cease trading at the end of our current lease in the first week of July. "We would like to thank our fantastic team at Darlington who have done an amazing job over the years. "We would also like to thank our wonderful Darlington guests; we hope to see them again in one of our other north-east restaurants." Bella Italia remains one of Britain's most popular Italian restaurant chains, with dozens of venues across the UK and Ireland. Its parent company went into administration in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic. The company would be acquired and re-branded later that year.
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major Italian restaurant chain forced to close another branch after being hit with ZERO star hygiene rating
A BRANCH of a major Italian restaurant chain has closed permanently after being hit with a zero star hygiene rating. The Bella Italia at the Barbican Leisure Park in Plymouth has become the latest branch to shut its doors. A statement shared on the chain's website says: "Bella Italia Plymouth, Barbican Leisure, is now closed. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of our Bella Italia restaurant in Plymouth. "We want to take this moment to thank you for your loyalty, your laughter and the many memories you've helped us create over the years." No immediate explanation was given for the restaurant's closure. But it comes after it was told urgent improvements were needed following a hygiene inspection in October 2024. Bella Italia spokesperson said at the time that "immediate corrective actions" had been carried out - and that guest safety is a "top priority". However, despite this, the restaurant has now closed its doors for good. It comes just one month after the chain announced it would close its Darlington branch in July. A spokesperson for the chain paid tribute to the "fantastic" branch staff. They said: "We can confirm that our restaurant in Darlington will cease trading at the end of our current lease in the first week of July. "We would like to thank our fantastic team at Darlington who have done an amazing job over the years. "We would also like to thank our wonderful Darlington guests; we hope to see them again in one of our other north-east restaurants." Bella Italia remains one of Britain's most popular Italian restaurant chains, with dozens of venues across the UK and Ireland. Its parent company went into administration in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic. The company would be acquired and re-branded later that year. 2
Reuters
31 minutes ago
- Reuters
London's Oxford Street to go traffic-free in shopping area makeover, says mayor
LONDON, June 17 - London's Oxford Street, one of Britain's busiest and most famous shopping districts, will be pedestrianised, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Tuesday, in a move designed to smarten up the area and create a new public space to help drive growth. The plan to rid Oxford Street of cars and buses, which has been over twenty years in the making, looks set to become a reality after consultations on proposals published in September showed a majority of Londoners and businesses back the idea. Supporters of pedestrianising the mile-long stretch in central London say similar traffic-free schemes for Times Square in New York and La Rambla in Barcelona have breathed new life into tired areas. "We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue," Khan said in a statement announcing the results of the public consultation. Oxford Street attracts around half a million visitors every day, according to the mayor's office, but many flagship stores including House of Fraser and Topshop have shut in recent years, and Khan said the area had been neglected. He will now work with the government on legislation to go traffic-free, which would happen "as quickly as possible". That will require finding new routes for the dozens of buses which travel down it each hour. The government has said Khan's plan for a new "beautiful public space" which will attract more tourists, drive new investment in the area and create jobs.
