Itsu begins to reopen select travel hub sites

The grab-and-go sushi chain is to reopen six sites in total this Friday (14 August), including train station locations at London's Euston, and Victoria.

Restaurants in Islington, Reading and Victoria 163 will also be reopening.

A selection of new recipes will feature on the menus of all reopened sites, including a vegetarian meatball and coconut soup pot that's been created in partnership with Meatless Farm.

“It was heart-breaking for us to close in March, so the fact that we are reopening our doors just makes me well up with gratitude," says founder Julian Metcalfe.

All reopened sites will follow a ‘hands and handles’ program, where all surfaces and hands are cleaned with disinfectant every 20 minutes.

Hand sanitiser will also be freely available; all team members will wear face shields; and each site will aim to serve customers in less than 90 seconds.

Earlier this month it was reported that Itsu was intending to close two sites and cut rents on a further 53 of its UK locations by means of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

These restructuring plans​​ are being implemented to help shore up the group's finances following months of closure, and comes after it hired restructuring experts AlixPartners to explore options for the business.

Itsu operates a 77-strong estate, but so far less than 20 sites have reopened following the easing of lockdown restrictions.