Caffe Nero has told landlords that it wants to pay no rent for three years.
The coffee chain, which has 800 branches in the UK, is negotiating a CVA with landlords in a bid to cut costs.
Under the plans, drawn up by KPMG, the owners of 69 of its worst-performing sites would be paid no rent for three years, while owners of the best performers would receive a portion of rent based on turnover for the next three years.
Landlords, who would also be paid 30p in the pound in rent arrears, will vote on the CVA on 30 November.
