Restaurant chain Prezzo gives all its staff a 4% pay rise and Boxing Day off

The Italian restaurant empire is hiking wages to say thanks to staff for weathering the pandemic and to encourage them to stay – but will only be paying some minimum wage for the first time

Prezzo will give its staff a pay rise next month and shut all of its restaurants on Boxing Day.

The Italian restaurant chain said the changes means all of its 2,500 staff will see their wages go up by around 4%. Its managers will get average pay rises of 5%.

A Prezzo statement said: “As a result of the increases, every Prezzo team member will be paid above the national minimum wage.”

Prezzo is also trying to get people to sign up by offering development plans.

Prezzo executive chair Karen Jones said: “Every part of the industry has felt the strain and at the front line stand our wonderful teams, front and back of house, of whom we are so proud.

If Prezzo can afford a mass pay rise to at least minimum wage, shouldn’t it have done it before now? Let us know in the comments below

“Making sure we get pay right is a pre-requisite; ensuring our Prezzo people feel valued and cared for is equally as important.”

Prezzo is not the only retailer to be paying its staff more and giving them Boxing Day off.

Sushi chain Itsu recently announced it is giving all instore workers an 11% pay rise.

Last week Costa Coffee announced it is hiring 2,000 more staff to cope with demand as workers go back to the office .

The coffee chain said the new hires were also needed to cope with the coming busy Christmas period and to staff extra stores it wants to open.

Other stores including Aldi, Morrisons and Home Bargains will also remain closed on December 26 .

One such chain is Mark and Spencer, which will give its 70,000 workers Boxing Day off .

It applies to all M&S-owned stores in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, its Donnington Distribution Centre near Derby, and all of its support centres.

M&S has also announced plans to extend opening hours at more stores before Christmas this year.

The majority of branches will open from 6am to midnight from Monday December 20, to Thursday December 23.

Boss Steve Rowe has written to all 70,000 workers saying the move to shut on December 26 was to thank them for their work and efforts over recent months.

In February Prezzo announced it would shut 22 branches for good as part of a rescue deal triggered by the Covid pandemic.