THE Zizzi restaurant in Taunton will not be re-opening, resulting in the loss of several jobs.

It is one of 75 restaurants being closed by its owners due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

The eatery, in the historic Magdalene House building fronting on to St Mary Magdalene Church, closed in March as part of the Government-imposed lockdown measures.

But the owners have now decided to close it permanently.

Previous owner Azzurri, which also owned the Ask Italian chain, was previously sold out of administration to TowerBank Capital Partners.

The latter announced it would be closing permanently 75 locations, while it is operating a phased re-opening of other sites.

After business ground to a halt during lockdown, chief executive Steve Holmes said: "The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill.

"Despite being a successful operator, the immediate loss of revenue during lockdown meant that we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions to protect the business for the long-term.

"It is with deep sadness that this process will result in the permanent closure of a number of sites and that we must say goodbye to greatly valued employees across our brands."