THE future of Frankie and Benny's restaurants in the area is in doubt after the owners announced they will be closing 14 sites.

The Restaurant Group, the owner of the Frankie and Benny's and Chiquito chains, will sell or close 33 outlets including 14 Frankie and Benny's across the country. 

The owners have been asked if the Warrington, Widnes, St Helens or Leigh restaurants will be affected but have not yet responded to requests for a comment.

Restaurant Group, which runs 500 theme restaurants, said it had been a 'challenging trading period'.

It said its Frankie & Benny's chain had 'suffered due to insufficient focus on value, unsuccessful menu development and poor operational execution'.

Price increases and removing popular value offers are thought to be the reason behind a drop in customer numbers.