Adored Italian restaurant with 66 branches across the UK closes in city centre after serving customers for over 10 years

A BELOVED Italian high street icon with nearly 70 sites across the UK has shut its doors in a major city centre after 10 years of service.

The popular chain on Birmingham's busy New Street closed down after a decade of serving up pizzas, pastas and salads.

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A sign in the window of Ask Italian - on the corner unit where New Street meets Bennetts Hill - told customers that it would be closing for good.

The same sign also advised customers that their nearest branch is at Merry Hill - and that movers were already clearing the space.

The message to its loyal customers read: "Thank you. Your Ask Italian Birmingham is closing on May 5."

They added that it had been a "pleasure to be part of your community".

"We hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have," the chain said.

"Your local Ask Italian is now Merry Hill Shopping Centre."

It is unclear what the plans are for the unit's new space.

Ask Italian is part of the Azzurri Group.

The group also operates chains Boojum, Zizzi, Coco di Mama and Dave's Hot Chicken.

Viral chicken chain Dave's Hot Chicken announced it would be expanding into the UK market last year.

According to reports, the growing chain could potentially fill up the empty space Ask Italian has left behind.

A Boojum location opened on New Street last year.

If Dave's Hot Chicken opens, it will become one of five chicken shops on the stretch of New Street now referred to by some locals as the "Chicken Quarter".

It comes after another beloved restaurant closed down after 10 years of service in Sheffield.

Koko had what locals labelled the city's best sushi, but announced its closure from April 14 last month.

Also in late April, a popular steakhouse closed all its branches after going bust.

The chain went into administration without any explanation according to reports.

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