THE Worcester branch of Gourmet Burger Kitchen is to close, it has been revealed.

The branch in the Crowngate was among those on a list of 26 restaurants set to close with 362 roles axed.

The closures come despite it being saved from administration when the chain was sold in a pre-pack administration deal after working with insolvency specialists at Deloitte.

It said the move will save 35 sites and 669 jobs from its original network of 61 restaurants and 1,031 employees.

Gavin Maher, joint administrator at Deloitte, said: ‘As with a number of dining businesses, the broader challenges facing ‘bricks and mortar’ operators, combined with the effect of the lockdown, resulted in a deterioration in financial performance and a material funding requirement.”

This is the latest in a long line of chains in the city that have faced pressure nationally during the coronavirus crisis.

Last month, the Worcester branch of Pizza Hut closed after the chain named the 29 restaurants it will shut for good as part of a major restructuring.

It was not clear how many people lost their jobs.

In the same week, Pizza Express approved the closure of 73 of its own sites, hitting 1,100 workers.

A spokesman said: “The impact of the global pandemic has meant that we have had to make some incredibly tough decisions to safeguard Pizza Express for the long term

“We are committed to doing the right thing and, in order to secure as many jobs as possible and continue serving our communities, we are working to reach an agreement with our creditors.

“We understand this is a difficult time for everyone involved.”

The Worcester branch remains open.

SUSHI chain Yo! announced plans to shut 19 of its sites and cut up to 250 jobs in a bid to protect its long-term future back in August.

However, the Worcester restaurant and Cathedral Square was not among those closed.

Have you lost any of your favourite restaurants to Covid-19?