The company took its name from
Loch Fyne, a
sea loch on the west coast of
Scotland. The business started life as part of
Loch Fyne Oysters but, in September 2006, the restaurant chain (then comprising 36 restaurants) was bought by
Greene King for £68 million. Loch Fyne Oysters continues in business under separate ownership; it owns the "Loch Fyne" brand and supplied much of the seafood used by the restaurant chain. In 2008 Loch Fyne Restaurants was reported by the
BBC to be paying their
waiting staff a base salary below the minimum wage made up to legal levels by tips. At its largest, the chain had over 40 restaurants. Some had already closed by 2020, and due to the
COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Loch Fyne permanently closed 11 more restaurants, with further closures following and the last restaurants closing in November 2023. ==References==