Expansion - Hospitality

Tortilla looks to accelerate growth through franchising as revenue continues to climb

24-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Tortilla is aiming to accelerate its expansion by ‘doubling down on franchising’ as it looks to capitalise on UK and international growth opportunities.

Afrikana plots further expansion with six openings planned

23-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

African-inspired restaurant group Afrikana has announced plans to open a further six sites in the coming months, which will take its estate beyond 20.

Big Fang tees up first London site

11-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

Competitive socialising group Big Fang Collective has confirmed it will open its first London outpost later this year, having secured a site in Waterloo.

Hotbox launches £1.5m fundraise as it looks to return to expansion trail

03-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

London-based smokehouse restaurant Hotbox has launched a £1.5m fundraise as it looks to return to the expansion trail.

Dishoom to take the Permit Room to Cambridge

26-Mar-2024 By James McAllister

Indian restaurant group Dishoom is taking its fledgling spin-off brand the Permit Room to Cambridge for its second site.

Sticks'n'Sushi secures £22m loan to support UK expansion

21-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Danish-owned sushi and kushiyaki specialist Sticks’n’Sushi has secured a £22m loan from digital bank OakNorth to support its future growth in the UK.

Big Fang Collective secures £5.5m for further UK expansion

07-Feb-2024 By James McAllister

Competitive socialising group Big Fang Collective has secured £5.5m in growth capital from alternative lender ThinCats to support its expansion plans.

Farmer J eyes US expansion as it secures £5.5m investment

29-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

Health-focused QSR brand Farmer J is planning further expansion in the capital and a move into the US market after securing a £5.5m investment.

Rockfish in the process of completing a £3m fundraise and return to expansion following ‘difficult year’

23-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

Rockfish is returning to the expansion trail and in the process of completing a £3m fundraise following a ‘difficult year’ that saw it swing to a £876,000 loss.

Flat Iron tees up further openings as it toasts ‘record year’

16-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

Steakhouse group Flat Iron has announced it will launch two further London restaurants this year, alongside its first site in Manchester, after reporting ‘record sales’.

Little Caesars Pizza plans ‘multiple new sites’ as it launches second UK location

15-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

US pizza brand Little Caesars has opened its second UK outpost in Top Valley, Nottingham, as it gears up for a ‘year of growth’.

Wahaca returns to expansion trail with first opening in six years

08-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

Wahaca is returning to the expansion trail with its first new opening in six years.

Jollibee eyes UK growth despite growing losses

04-Jan-2024 By James McAllister

Jollibee has set out plans to ‘significantly increase’ its UK presence by 2028, despite seeing its losses widen in its latest financial results.

Nando’s tees up new openings as it reports ‘steady recovery’

08-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Nando’s is in the process of opening 14 new UK restaurants having reported a ‘steady recovery’ to pre-pandemic sales and a return to operating profit in its latest accounts.

Various Eateries looks to raise £12m

05-Dec-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Various Eateries has confirmed it is in advanced stages of conducting a potential fundraising of up to £12m.

Temper lines up fifth London restaurant in Paddington

07-Nov-2023 By James McAllister

Steakhouse and barbecue restaurant Temper will open its fifth London restaurant next month in Paddington.

Popeyes UK secures £50m funding package to drive next phase of growth

01-Aug-2023 By James McAllister

Popeyes UK has secured £50m of additional funding from private equity firm TDR Capital to accelerate its restaurant opening programme.

Yard Sale explores options for growth

06-Jun-2023 By Finn Scott-Delany

Neighbourhood pizza shop concept Yard Sale Pizza has appointed advisors as it considers 'a number of potential options' to grow the brand further.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants ‘on course’ with growth strategy as sales rise significantly

12-May-2023 By James McAllister

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants remains ‘committed to and on course’ with its growth strategy both in the UK and internationally amid a significant rise in sales.

Rosa's Thai secures funding from Barclays as it plots further expansion

11-May-2023 By James McAllister

Rosa’s Thai has secured a new £10m bank facility from Barclays to help fund its ongoing openings pipeline.

Bundobust heads to Birmingham

03-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

Indian street food and craft beer hall brand Bundobust is heading to Birmingham for its fifth opening.

Leon opens first location in south west of England

29-Mar-2023 By James McAllister

Healthy fast food brand Leon has opened its first location in the south west of England, on Stall Street in Bath.

BrewDog set for 'rapid market growth' in China under new joint venture

20-Feb-2023 By James McAllister

BrewDog is set for major expansion across Greater China after sealing a joint venture partnership in the country with Budweiser China.

Six by Nico plots major expansion push after 'robust' results

05-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

The group behind tasting menu restaurant Six by Nico is plotting major expansion across the UK and internationally following 'robust' financial results in the year since Covid restrictions were lifted.

Pret reaches initial agreement to open in Israel

22-Dec-2022 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger is continuing to step up its international expansion plans having reached an initial agreement with Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group to introduce the brand in Israel.

Clays secures investment from Imbiba

12-Dec-2022 By James McAllister

Virtual shooting competitive socialising concept Clays has secured investment from Imbiba to help support its growth plans, which includes the launch of three new sites next year.

Döner Shack lines up first London opening with wider plans for rollout in the capital

11-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

German street food concept Döner Shack is launch its first London outpost in late autumn, the first of four new openings planned for the capital over the next six months.

Pret to expand into India

30-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger is to expand into India with up to 100 sites expected to open in the country over the next five years, under its latest global franchise agreement.

Pret to launch in Spain and Portugal

14-Jun-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Pret A Manger has reached an agreement with Ibersol Group to launch Pret in Spain and Portugal as it looks to grow its international reach.

Wendy’s achieves ‘solid results’ in first quarter

12-May-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Wendy’s UK business – its newest market – achieved 'solid results' in the first quarter to 3 April 2022, president and chief executive officer Todd Penegor has said.

Pret plots Irish expansion

11-Apr-2022 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger is to expand into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for the first time after securing a new agreement with existing franchise partner Carebrook Partnership.

Thunderbird on track for four new sites

08-Feb-2022 By Helen Gilbert

Thunderbird Fried Chicken is on course to unveil four new bricks and mortar sites by early June.

Casual dining 'well placed to recover' from pandemic as outlet growth forecast

03-Feb-2022 By James McAllister

The 10 largest casual dining brands in the UK are forecast to grow their combined outlet count by 1.1% in 2022 to 5,566 sites, new data from Lumina shows.

Döner Shack to make Scottish debut

25-Jan-2022 By James McAllister

German street food concept Döner Shack is set to make its debut in Scotland in the coming months having secured a site at Glasgow’s Silverburn shopping centre.

Leon plans 50 UK openings for 2022

22-Dec-2021 By Georgi Gyton

Leon is to intensify the scale of its restaurant rollout, with more than 50 UK sites planned to open in 2022.

The Avocado Show eyes new year growth

10-Dec-2021 By Helen Gilbert

Netherlands-founded mono product restaurant The Avocado Show is set to open at least two more sites in London in the new year, having signed up a new franchise operator.

Wendy's targets 50 UK openings in 2022 after sales exceed expectations

25-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Wendy's is to ramp up its UK growth plans next year after sales across its fledgling estate exceeded expectations.

Chaiiwalla to roll out in London

19-Nov-2021 By Andrew Don

South Asian street food franchise Chaiiwalla is gearing up to make its London debut as it targets 230 UK locations by the end of 2024.

Clean Kitchen Club plots expansion following £1.4m seed round

16-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Plant-based concept Clean Kitchen Club is targeting nationwide expansion having recently raised £1.4m in a seed round.

Poke House: "We're taking a very opportunistic expansion approach"

12-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Italian poke chain Poke House plans to open 65 UK sites in the next two years, with the bulk of its estate expected to eventually be focused outside of London.

Wendy’s sees 'extremely strong' UK sales

11-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Wendy’s says it is ’extremely excited' about the consumer response to its UK market return, and is on track to have 10 locations open by the end of the year.

Mikos Gyros launches franchising arm as it sets out ambitions for global expansion

10-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Fast casual Greek brand Mikos Gyros has stated its intention to roll out across the UK and beyond having recently launched a new franchising arm.

Burger & Lobster lines up 'strong pipeline of sites' as it looks to accelerate expansion

03-Nov-2021 By James McAllister

Burger & Lobster is looking to accelerate expansion both in the UK and internationally as it prepares to mark its 10th anniversary next month.

Coqfighter looks to expand restaurant estate with six new openings planned

29-Oct-2021 By James McAllister

London-based fried chicken brand Coqfighter will open two new bricks and mortar restaurants before the end of the year, with a further four in the pipeline.

Pret to pilot move into Canada

26-Oct-2021 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger and fast food brand A&W Food Services of Canada have reached an initial agreement to introduce the Pret brand and products to A&W restaurants in Canada.

The Big Table Group looks to double Las Iguanas estate as it plans 50 new restaurant openings

25-Oct-2021 By James McAllister

The Big Table Group has set out plans to take its total UK estate to 200 sites, with a particular focus on growing its Las Iguanas brand.

Black Sheep Coffee targets rapid UK growth and US move

21-Oct-2021 By James McAllister

Independent café chain Black Sheep Coffee is set to double the size of its UK estate within a year, with a move into the US market also mooted.

Giggling Squid hits 40 sites as it pushes ahead with expansion

18-Oct-2021 By James McAllister

Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid is continuing to push ahead with expansion, with a number of new locations set to launch before the end of the year.