A takeaway pizza parlour in Abingdon has closed suddenly but it could reopen.

Caprinos in Northcourt Road, next to the Co-op shut earlier this month.

It has not been serving customers at the takeaway, or taking orders on the phone, and there don't appear to be any signs up alerting people to the closure.

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The Caprinos chain operates branches across the country and there is also a Caprinos in Didcot.

A member of staff at its Didcot branch said: "As far as I know it's a temporary closure due to technical issues. The intention is to reopen - it's not permanent."

Caprinos opened its first restaurant in Broadway in Didcot in 2014 and the Abingdon takeaway - the 40th branch - opened in 2021.

Planning permission was given to allow the building, which previously housed McColl’s newsagents, to be converted into a hot food takeaway and delivery restaurant.

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Co-director Khalil Rehman said in 2021: “A lot of people in Oxfordshire know us already and we have a good reputation.

Oxford Mail: Caprinos in Abingdon“We won the Pizza and Pasta award in 2018.

“People were worried about littering but we won’t have that issue.

“The new store will also create more local jobs in the area of Abingdon.”

Caprinos has been a success story since it opened its first Oxfordshire takeaway.

Mr Rehman said it was their love of pizza that spurred him and business partner Gul Mawaz on to start the business.

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The takeaway service quickly became popular in Didcot, prompting the owners to branch out to other towns across the South East.

Within a year of opening the first shop, the owners decided to branch out to Aylesbury.

Within the business's first four years, it had opened seven more stores – in Headington and Cowley Road in Oxford, and in Faringdon, Banbury, Andover, Stoke and Newbury.

Dominos and Pizza Hut run takeaways in Ock Street.

There is also a Pizza Express and an Ask Italian in the town.

Mr Rehman said in 2018: "Our mission for what we wanted was to build a British pizza brand, as many of the others are often American or from elsewhere.

“We didn’t plan to expand so fast when we started in Didcot and it was so small. But we did much better than forecast."

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Residents on the Spotted: Abingdon online community group have been discussing the closure.

One customer said: "Oh no you're joking - I don’t like any other pizza. Will it reopen?"

Another added: "Unfortunate as it was the best pizza place in Abingdon and the only place I actually went to and liked."

The chain has been running a Veganuary offer, with 50 per cent off plant-based pizzas.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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