Minor considers second Wolseley under plans to develop Corbin & King estate

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Minor International considers second The Wolseley in the City of London under plans to develop Corbin & King estate

Related tags Minor International Corbin and King jeremy king Restaurant The wolseley

Corbin & King's new owner, Minor International, is looking to open a second Wolseley restaurant in the City of London under its plans to develop the group's estate.

Speaking to BigHospitality​, Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International, confirmed that the group, which acquired full control of the Corbin & King business last week​, ousting co-founder Jeremy King in the process, will also be resuming work on pescatarian-focused restaurant Manzi's in Soho, with a view to opening it before the end of the year; with a third site in Notting Hill Gate also in development. 

All three sites had been secured by Corbin & King prior to Minor's takeover of the business.

Rajakarier said: "There’s a short term, medium term and long term plan. In the short term, it's all about stability. It's about creating that exceptional guest experience; investing in people; and investing in the assets.

"The medium term is fulfilling our obligations in terms of Manzi's and the other two [restaurants]. Long term, it's global expansion."

While Rajakarier was open about Minor's aims to grow the Corbin & King estate internationally, he dismissed suggestions that he wants to roll out the group's different brands, which also includes Brasserie Zédel and The Delaunay, on a mass scale.

"Our intention is not to dilute any of the brands. Because we have invested in them and the people, the last thing we want to do is dilute that. Our intention is to work with the [management] team and come up with plan to see where we could take that some of the concepts, but also create new ones."

As well as The Wolseley, Rajakarier suggested that the group's Chelsea restaurant, Colbert, could also have legs for growth.

"For us, it’s all about the geography, the brand fit, the customer segment. And that’s what we take into account before we look at whether we have a Wolseley in New York, Hong Kong or the Middle East. And we will have to work with the team, as they will have to support the growth of the business.

"But our plan is not to go and roll out 300-500 sites globally, as that dilutes it. Today, The Wolseley is seen as a unique brand in a niche segment that doesn't have much competing with it, and that’s how we want to keep it."

Corbin & King have previously looked to expand The Wolseley brand with the opening of a Cafe Wolseley in Bicester Village, which is described as taking reference from the iconic London flagship.

A full interview with Rajakarier will be published on BigHospitality next week.

Related topics Restaurant Openings Fine Dining

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