The former Jamie's Italian restaurant in George Street in Oxford could soon be occupied by a new business.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launched his Italian restaurant chain from the city in 2008 but in 2019 it closed after the chain went into administration.
Soon afterwards, The Real Greek, which has restaurants across London, announced plans to move in but since then the unit has remained empty.
The company revealed its plans for the unit in a licence application to landlords the city council.
The company also asked to be able to play recorded music and 'show films' until 1am.
Read again: The Real Greek reveals plans for Oxford
Owned by the Fulham-Shore group which also owns Franco Manca, The Real Greek already runs many popular restaurants, mostly in London, with other branches in Reading and Bristol.
The firm says the food it serves 'comes from the delicious and healthy diet of the Eastern Mediterranean', mostly Hellenic classics such as flat breads, houmous, taramasalata and moussaka.
A manager at The Real Greek branch in Reading Oracle told the Oxford Mail the chain was about to open a branch in Newcastle but had no information about plans to move into 24-26 George Street.
City council spokesman Tony Ecclestone said: "It’s been marketed for rent and there is a new tenancy going through solicitors at the minute.
"It’s also pending some work that need to be carried out on the building."
Read more: Huge stack of stolen bikes is found
When asked by the Oxford Mail if The Real Greek was still a contender for George Street, the spokesman would not comment, citing commercial confidentiality.
Before Jamie's Italian opened, the building was occupied by the Cock & Camel pub and the unit next to the pub was occupied by Avid Records, which closed in 2008.
The restaurant building in Gloucester Street retains much of the Jamie's Italian signage, including a menu board and a notice referring to the administrators.
It appears that very little has been done to the unit for almost three years, apart from cover one window with a tribute to the NHS during the pandemic.
There are plenty of other options for Italian food in the George Street area, including Bbuona pizza bar in Gloucester Green, and Bella Italia, Zizzi, Franco Manca and Ask in George Street.
Jamie Oliver told the Oxford Mail how he took a £2m gamble to open the George Street branch in 2008.
Read more: Search for new company to run abandoned Grapes pub
But in 2017 he blamed a combination of rising Brexit cost pressures and tough trading when he shut six restaurants.
As well as staff costs and lower footfall, the business has been stung by the collapse in the pound, which has ramped up the cost of buying ingredients from Italy.
The George Street branch initially survived but it too closed in 2019.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok
Got a story for us? Send us your news and pictures here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel