End of the road for Newtown's Little Chef

Little Chef has closed its Newtown restaurant with the loss of a number of jobs, but it looks likely that its outlet at Trewern, near Welshpool, is to remain open.

The company announced the closure of 67 outlets throughout the UK yesterday and the loss of at least 500 jobs as a result. It is understood the first staff knew about the closure was the through the media.

The restaurant, in Pool Road, has been in the town for many years but the Little Chef business as a whole has struggled in recent years and was sold in 2007 to a private investment business, RCapital.

The company said of its 161 sites that some were "very profitable". However, it has decided to close 67 loss makers which include Newtown.

Today, workmen arrived at the restaurant to board up windows and make the building secure. It is not known when the property will be put on the market or whether it will be sold as part of a package of outlets.

The restaurant in Trewern was open this morning and serving food to customers. Little Chef has responded to enquiries from mynewtown or mywelshpool.