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Business leaders networking at the Peach 20/20 Conference  

25 Jun 2024

Well-positioned casual dining brands not holding back

Recent years have been tough going for casual dining groups, but there are signs that ambition is returning to the market.

First quarter figures from CGA showed that despite pub numbers continuing to decline, casual dining sites saw an uptick in numbers, with a net increase of 34 locations. It‘s modest but it shows investment and roll-outs are firmly on board agendas.

That optimism was reflected when Peach co-founder Peter Martin interviewed Robin Rowland on stage at the CEDA conference. The former YO! Sushi boss, who is now a partner at the TriSpan investment house, confirmed that the four UK restaurant brands he chairs - Mowgli, Rosa‘s Thai, Pho and Thunderbird - would between them see 20 new locations open this year.

He said there were four main business growth pillars he looked for to justify investment:

  • Inflation 
  • Interest rates 
  • A stable engaged workforce 
  • Consumer confidence

He said with the first two under control and the third in place: “We just need consumer confidence to sustainably grow, but we‘ll invest in the belief that it will.”

Rowland said TriSpan was attracted to companies with a scalable niche and a differentiated offer. Businesses needed to be past early-stage growth, around five to 15 sites, a £20-30 a head price point, with a strong management team - and with the potential for expansion.
 

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