A PATISSERIE chain which has closed the majority of its branches over the last few years is set to reopen some stores.
Patisserie Valerie, which once had almost 200 stores across the UK employing around 3,000 staff, is set to reopen two restaurants by October, the Sun has learned.
Patisserie Valerie is slowly bringing restaurants back after collapsingAlamy
And the chain plans to reopen more cafes over the next few months as part of a reinvestment into its estate, the Sun understands, although exact locations and dates are yet to be confirmed.
It is also actively looking for opportunities to open brand new sites.
Its branch in Cambridge will reopen its doors next week after a lengthy refurbishment, while a restaurant at Cribbs Causeway retail park just outside Bristol will reappear in mid-October.
The once-huge patisserie chain collapsed into administration in 2019 after grappling with the fallout of accountancy fraud and immediately culled 71 of its 193 stores.
Since then, it has reduced its store count down to just 29, with restaurants only remaining in cities and some large towns.
It has concessions inside around 400 Sainsbury’s stores where customers can buy its 14 most popular cakes, according to its website.
Around five of its remaining restaurants are in London, with several others in the South East including in Winchester, Basingstoke and High Wycombe.
Further north, there are branches in York, Leeds, Chester and Durham.
The chain is currently recruiting for roles at its two upcoming new cafes.
Patisserie Valerie joins a number of other retailers and eateries expanding into the UK at the moment.
Huge discount retailer Costco is planning to open 14 new warehouses around the UK in the next two years, as revealed by the Sun, while The White Company is set to open five new branches by November.
Bakery chain Greggs is also expanding with plans to open a net total of 150 branches in 2023 – and it confirmed eight upcoming stores to the Sun last month.
It comes as other major names on the high street are being forced to shut branches, with huge homeware store Wilko fighting for the survival of its 400 stores.
You can find your nearest Patisserie Valerie using the map tool on its website – the blue icons indicate a restaurant, while the orange icons show Sainsbury’s stores that sell its cakes.
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