One UK restaurant chain with 28 branches nationwide has been plunged into administration. The food company, founded in 1999, is now under the control of joint administrators from Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP, according to a post on The Gazette on May 8.

Earlier this week, it was announced that The Real Greek will shut nine restaurants, resulting in 151 job losses. However, the chain was saved by owners Côte Brasserie, who stepped in to buy 19 of its 28 outlets, saving 358 jobs out of 509. The Real Greek’s former owner, Fulham Shore, struck the rescue deal with Côte Brasserie’s parent company, The Karali Group, last week.

The restaurant chain serves Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, including traditional dishes such as souvlaki and meze. The Real Greek says its aim is to “bring people together over dishes that take you to Greece” with the “Greek philosophy of heartfelt hospitality.”

The chain, founded in London, will see four of its London branches shut down, including those in Dulwich Village, Spitalfields, The Strand and Westfield White City. The other branches include The Real Greek restaurants in Bristol, Solihull, Gloucester Quays, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Industry publication Propel also reported that the chain’s central kitchen will also be shut down.

Fulham Shore also owns the Italian restaurant brand Franco Manca, which will close 16 branches, resulting in 225 job losses. The Real Greek had reportedly suffered more due to the current poor trading conditions.

Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, said: “The transaction will ensure that the business is placed on a more sustainable footing for the future, while allowing The Fulham Shore to focus its energy and investment behind Franco Manca and its significant growth potential.”

Mr Khan said his London-based company was “pleased to be handing it over to Karali with real momentum.”

“We will now do everything we can to support colleagues affected by this process and believe that both the brand and its teams will be in very good hands as the business moves into its next chapter.”

Japanese parent company of Fulham Shore, Toridoll, previously said the business had been affected by rising costs, including business rates, energy bills and staff wages – concerns that have also been raised across the UK hospitality industry.

Toridoll said: “In recent years, high levels of inflation in the UK, driven by rising energy and food prices together with increase in labour costs resulting from rises in the minimum wage, have created a more challenging operating environment for the hospitality industry than initially anticipated.”