, ▁M EX I co ▁and ▁Cle aver ▁restaurant ▁br ands . ▁▁ ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁large ▁Italian - in sp ired ▁British ▁restaurant ▁ch ains ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁with ▁compet itors ▁including ▁ ▁Ask , ▁P izza ▁Express ▁and ▁Str ada . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Pre z zo ▁restaurant ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁central ▁London ▁by ▁Jonathan ▁K aye , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁chief ▁executive , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁there ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 8 0 ▁branches ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁Pre z zo ▁opened ▁its ▁first ▁restaurant ▁in ▁Ireland ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Pre z zo ▁commonly ▁converts ▁old ▁buildings ▁of ▁architect ural ▁value ▁from ▁their ▁old ▁purposes ▁into ▁Pre z zo ▁restaur ants ; ▁examples ▁include ▁an ▁old ▁cinema ▁in ▁Be a cons field , ▁Buck ingham shire . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Pre z zo ▁business , ▁Jonathan ▁K aye , ▁is ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Regin ald ▁K aye ▁and ▁nep hew ▁of ▁Philip ▁K aye , ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁have ▁a ▁background ▁in ▁the ▁restaurant ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁Golden ▁E gg ▁c afé ▁chain ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁Italian ▁restaur ants ▁Gar f unk el ' s ▁and ▁Deep ▁Pan ▁P izza , ▁both ▁now ▁sold ▁to ▁R estaur ant ▁Group . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Jonathan ▁h ired ▁c ous ins ▁Adam ▁K aye ▁and ▁Samuel ▁K aye ▁( s ons ▁of ▁Philip