Frankie & Benny are making a profit again now that the innovation has been launched

The boss of New York-based Italian chain Frankie & Benny’s has revealed that the group will return to annual profits after a major overhaul to get the business back on track.

Debbie Husband, managing director of Frankie & Benny’s (F&B), said the once loss-making restaurant company had already made a profit of £4m in the financial year to October thanks to a major revamp and cost savings.

The group is now unveiling what it says is the biggest brand refresh in its almost 30-year history, with a new menu rolled out across all locations this week featuring 38 new dishes and a launch into the popular brunch market.

It comes a year after F&B and sister chain Chiquito were sold to Bella Italia owner The Big Table Group – a deal that saw former owner The Restaurant Group pay £7.5m in cash for Big Table to offload the loss-making business.

Ms Husband told the PA news agency: “Over the past year we have stabilized the business and kept the engine running well. Now it’s about raising awareness and connecting with customers so we can drive growth and move forward.”

She said the first priority was to get the business on a stable footing, with F&B ‘bleeding’ money when Big Table first started operating.

Big Table has not closed any of the 57 F&B sites it has acquired, but it revealed that it has eliminated around 200 positions and also reduced some staff hours due to staff turnover.

At the same time, the group has extended opening hours at some locations to capitalize on the breakfast trade.

F&B now employs just under 2,000 workers, compared to about 2,200 when Big Table first bought the chain.

Ms Husband said Big Table was faced with the challenge of reviving the brand after a series of closures in recent years, with its estate reduced from around 260 locations at its peak to fewer than 60 now.

“The brand was unloved and it hasn’t been appreciated for a while,” she said.

She said the group had a “very strong pulse” but needed to reconnect with customers.

“The feedback has been loud and clear that there is a very strong resonance with F&B and people enjoy talking about it,” Ms Husband said.

F&B is now aiming to go back to the roots of its first launch in 1995, adapting old favorites but also launching a new brunch offering with dishes such as loaded New York bagels and stacked pancakes.

The brunch menu was trialled in three locations – London, Newcastle and Bristol – before being made available in locations nationwide this week.

Restaurant staff have each received six hours of training on the menus and dishes, with new uniforms for the teams and digital signage outside some locations to give restaurants a new look and feel.

But the turnaround plan comes against a difficult backdrop for casual dining, which is under pressure from continued restraint in consumer spending, rising costs and intense competition.

The problems at rival chain TGI Fridays, whose operating company recently went into administration, highlight how difficult the market is.

Ms Husband said F&B sales still need to grow, but are improving.

She hopes that the new impetus will breathe new life into the brand with a view to further growth of the chain in the future.

She said: “I would like to think we can prove that F&B has potential… and not just in 57 locations.

“Personally, I would love to grow the brand.”