Pizza restaurant which created 15 jobs becomes another victim of the pandemic

THE Dough and Dough pizza restaurant at Warrington’s Golden Square has become another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, closing its doors just before Christmas.

The pizza restaurant opened last April in the former glass-fronted Prezzo building, creating 15 hospitality jobs in the process as well a speciality pizzas for Vegans.

It was the third restaurant of Chester-based food group Pheby Food Concepts Group Ltd – and was the last to close after owner Des Pheby said it was unfortunately not viable to stand on its own feet following earlier closures of branches in Liverpool and Chester.

He said he had “never experienced anything like” the strain the hospitality industry has faced during the pandemic.

The Liverpool branch of the Dough Dough wood-fired pizza restaurant and takeaway closed in Autumn and back in November, Dough Dough’s original site in Northgate Chester also closed.

Mr Pheby said the original restaurant in Chester was the “lynchpin” of the restaurants and they had not been able to secure a new lease.

With continuing uncertainty and recruitment retention issues Warrington was unfortunately not financially viable to stand on its own feet.

The Warrington site had opened on 12 April – the same day the government’s ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ aimed to have all hospitality venues open to serve customers outdoors, with no curfew and no requirement to have a substantial meal in order to have an alcoholic drink.