government began to lift lockdown restrictions. In July, it was announced that "dozens" of the closed restaurants would not be reopening. The restaurant group was reported to have a debt pile of £1.1 billion. The next month, it was announced that the company was set to close around 67 restaurants throughout the UK and also cut 1,100 jobs. In July 2020, the business was taken over by its bondholders under a debt-for-equity swap with previous owner Hony Capital. It was confirmed in September that 73 of its restaurants would close permanently, including the first ever branch in Wardour Street. In November 2020, the group restructure completed and helped cut the casual dining chain's debt by more than £400 million. A further 23 branches were earmarked for closure in January 2021. Ownership PizzaExpress was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1993 with franchises opening across the UK. UK franchises were then bought back en masse in 1996. TDR Capital and Capricorn Associates then bought the company in 2003 turning it private again. In 2005, PizzaExpress floated on the London Stock Exchange, as part of Gondola Holdings. It was then bought by private equity group Cinven as the Gondola Group in 2007. On 12 July 2014 it was announced that Chinese group Hony Capital had bought PizzaExpress for £900 million. In July 2020, the business was taken over by its bondholders under a debt-for-equity swap with previous owner Hony Capital. In November 2020, Hony Capital left the business and the group restructure completed, help cutting the casual dining chain's debt by more than £400 million. Fare Since its foundation, PizzaExpress has specialised primarily in handmade pizza in the traditional Italian style. PizzaExpress introduced the lighter pizza Leggera, the first pizza range on the high street that contains around 500 calories. In 2008, PizzaExpress started a Guest Chef Series with chef Theo Randall, of Theo Randall at InterContinental London, creating exclusive dishes for its menu. Francesco Mazzei, of L'Anima, came on board in 2010 to develop a menu inspired by the cuisine of Calabria. The celebrity chef series continued in 2012 with the introduction of two pizzas made by television cook Valentine Warner. Warner introduced the fennel and salami pizza and the puttanesca pizza. Music PizzaExpress has supported the jazz community from its early days when it opened its first jazz club in 1969 in Dean Street, London. Since then, artists performing