[imagesource: Sam Robinson]

It’s been almost six months to the day since news broke that Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group was going into insolvency.

Whilst the struggles faced by his restaurants, and particularly his ‘Jamie’s Italian’ restaurants, was felt across the board by many other chains, having to lay off more than 1 000 people hit the celebrity chef pretty hard.

Don’t worry, he still had a healthy chunk of change tucked away for a rainy day, and now he’s decided to launch a fresh chain of restaurants.

Details via the Guardian:

Two of his Jamie’s Italian outlets in south-east Asia – on Kuta beach in Bali and in Bangkok, Thailand – are to be converted to a new format called Jamie Oliver Kitchen, the latest concept to be launched by the chef and which will focus on all-day dining with dishes reflecting local cuisine.

An additional 19 openings are planned up until the end of 2020, to supplement the 70 restaurants across 27 markets that the Jamie Oliver Group currently operates, according to his company.

Speaking about the new openings, Oliver said: “Over the past 20 years, I have travelled around the world to discover exciting flavour combinations, picking up incredible influences along the way. The new restaurants will bring those inspirations to life and serve some of my absolute all-time favourites. Whether you want to grab a quick bite in a relaxed setting, have a proper sit-down meal with friends and family, or grab a drink at the bar, we have created a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy the food I truly love.”

Menu items at the two outlets will include a soft shell crab burger with green papaya salad and sriracha mayo, and beef cheek cooked in Indonesian spices.

According to Jamie Oliver Group chief executive Paul Hunt, the new concept is all about showing off Jamie’s prowess, whilst allowing their franchise partners in each market the flexibility to switch up the menus to suit local tastes and trends.

Clearly, Jamie isn’t one to let his past failures bring him down, although the staff at those new restaurants will hope that they, too, don’t end up on the wrong side of insolvency.

[sources:guardian]