Family-run Italian restaurant chain Spaghetti House has entered administration, leading to the immediate closure of its restaurants.
The chain of restaurants was founded by Simone Lavarini and his friend Lorenzo Fraquelli in 1955. They opened the first restaurant, on Goodge Street in Fitzrovia, in 1955.
Begbies Traynor has been appointed as administrators to the chain’s parent company Lavval, which had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators last month.
A notice published on the Spaghetti House website reads: ‘We’re sorry all our restaurants are now closed.
‘We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our loyal customers, partners, and team members, past and present, for your support over the years.
‘From Our Family to Yours, Grazie [Thank You].’
In September 1975, the venue was the subject of an armed robbery that became known as the Spaghetti House Siege.
Three robbers – Franklyn Davies, Anthony Munroe and Wesley Dick, held staff hostage and barricaded themselves in the venue.
Stalwart Italian restaurant Spaghetti House has entered administration – bringing to an end 70 years of serving top pasta to Londoners (pictured: the original Goodge Street restaurant)
For six days, police were engaged in a standoff with the criminals before the gunmen gave themselves up. All three men, who were associated with Black liberation movements, were later put in prison.
At one time, the chain had nine venues including the Goodge Street eatery alongside branches in Argyll Street, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Holborn, Kensington and at the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush.
Some of these closed in the last two years: the remaining five in Argyll Street, Kensington, Cranbourn Street, Marble Arch and Carnaby Street have now closed, as has A Braccetto in Earl’s Court, which opened two years ago.
