Struggling Hartford heads downmarket

Troubled London restaurant group Hartford is to go downmarket in a bid to improve its fortunes.

Chairman Stephen Thomas said: "We strongly believe the future of the group will be secured through the adoption of a less elitist approach to the eating and drinking market, coupled with a more rigorous commercial approach to the operation of the existing restaurants."

Hartford has decided to keep its Utah and Idaho restaurants in London, which were put on the market last year.

The company made an operating loss of £3.2m last year, after exceptional costs of £1.5m. But turnover rose to £7.3m, compared with £6.9m in 1999.

Hartford said it would keep its Pharmacy restaurant in Notting Hill and refurbish it later this year. It will spend £500,000 on refurbishing its existing restaurants this year, including Utah, Idaho and Montana.

The group has saved £65,000 a year in rent by moving its head office from Notting Hill to a property it owned in Westminster.

The administration team has been cut from 19 to eight.

Despite the changes, Thomas said trading had been disappointing since the new year. He put this down to the disruption caused by the upheavals in the company.

By David Shrimpton