Gordon Ramsay Restaurants set for major expansion with 50 UK openings 'planned'

It comes after his restaurant group made a profit of more than £15m last year.

Despite the detrimental impact of the Coronavirus crisis, Ramsay says his group intends to open a further 50 restaurants across the UK in the foreseeable future.

He's also planning a major expansion into Asia, with 200 sites planned in the next five years.

According to the Daily Mail​​​, Ramsay believes the new UK openings will create around 2,000 jobs, including some in head office.

"We have big dreams, big plans and a global strategy so ambitious it takes my breath away," he told the paper.

"We have had to acknowledge and review the impact of the horrendous Coronavirus pandemic. 

"We continue to be optimistic and ambitious, knowing it is more important than ever before to invest in our industry, to support suppliers and to create jobs."

While Ramsay's current UK portfolio is concentrated in the capital, he is expected to look at more regional openings as part of the expansion, with potential openings in Manchester and Newcastle. 

Brands in his stable include Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the three Michelin-starred fine-dining flagship in Chelsea; Petrus in Belgravia; and Lucky Cat in Mayfair.

At the more modest end of the scale are Bread Street Kitchen; Heddon Street Kitchen; Union Street Cafe; and Street Pizza.

This winter, Ramsay says he intends to launch a Street Burger concept that's modelled on his £15 all-you-can-eat Street Pizza brand.

Of his global concepts, a second Hell’s Kitchen is opening in Dubai this year (the first is in Las Vegas); and a Pub and Grill is scheduled to open in Macau this autumn.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants made pre-tax profits of £15.1m, with sales of £54.6m, in the year to August 2019.

It also secured a $100m deal with investor Lion Capital to expand in North America in the period.

The business is now in talks with potential backers in the UK and Asia, including Lion Capital, over funding for the next round of expansion.

“We have big dreams, big plans and a global strategy so ambitious it takes my breath away,” he told the Mail​.

“I’ve lived and breathed the restaurant business for over 30 years. Fundamentally our focus is, and will always be on the guest and their experience.

“We have seen the mistakes others have made by not being focused, we do not intend to make the same mistakes.”