Busaba
Coverage of developments at an established Thai restaurant chain operating primarily across London and the southeast. Expect reporting on financial restructuring, site closures in neighbourhoods like Bloomsbury and Kingston, administration filing and pre-pack acquisition, and the strategic refocus on profitable venues in Westfield and the Lakeside Centre. Tailored for chefs, F&B executives, and hospitality operators tracking risks, recovery plans, and brand resilience in evolving casual dining markets.
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Aug- 2025 -8 AugustFeatures
Could Gusto’s fall signal a casual dining scene in crisis?
Italian restaurant chain Gusto, once seen as a staple of mid-market dining in the UK, has become the latest brand to fall victim to the sector’s mounting structural and economic challenges. On 29 July, the 13-site operator entered administration before being swiftly acquired via a pre-pack deal by Cherry Equity…
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Jul- 2025 -29 JulyRestaurants
Cherry Equity rescues Gusto from administration, 190 redundancies expected
Cherry Equity Partners is set to acquire the majority of Italian chain Gusto following the appointment of administrators and a pre-pack administration process, with almost 200 redundancies expected. The deal will see seven flagship Gusto restaurants continue to trade, in a move that safeguards over 300 jobs. Six restaurants will…
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24 JulyRestaurants
Seaco acquires Busaba out of administration
Busaba has been sold in a pre-pack administration deal to Seaco Investments, safeguarding around 240 jobs across its seven remaining sites. News comes after the Thai restaurant group entered administration on 16 July, with Neil Bennett and Alex Cadwallader of law firm Leonard Curtis appointed joint administrators. The sale to…
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8 JulyFood and Drink
Just Eat launches new membership service
Just Eat has announced the launch of its new membership service Just Eat+ in the UK giving customers unlimited free deliveries. The service launches offering free delivery for £5.99 for a 90 subscription alongside a number of other perks. Perks include free items from the likes of Greggs, Co-op and…
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Apr- 2024 -15 AprilNews
Today’s news in brief – 15/04/24
Busaba will focus on London and the surrounding areas for new openings, as its latest restaurant in Essex’s Lakeside Shopping Centre has proved successful. The news comes after the group had to close its Cardiff and Oxford restaurants last year to cut costs, as turnover dipped from £21.2m in 2022…
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15 AprilRestaurants
Busaba eyes expansion opportunities closer to London
Thai restaurant chain Busaba has revealed it will focus on London and the surrounding areas, as its latest opening in Essex’s Lakeside Shopping Centre has proved successful. According to the group’s latest filings on Companies House, turnover stood at £21.1m for the year ended 17 September 2023, a slight dip…
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Sep- 2021 -1 SeptemberRestaurants
Busaba opens first site in Wales
Thai chain Busaba has announced that it has debuted in Wales, after Orchard Street Investment Management, a specialist commercial property investment manager, signed a 4,000 sq ft letting at the Brewery Quarter, Cardiff. The company has agreed to a 15-year lease across the ground and terrace floors of the property,…
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Mar- 2021 -2 MarchVenues & Properties
Japan Centre to expand flagship London site
Japanese food hall, Japan Centre, has announced plans for a 7,000 sq ft expansion to its flagship London site in mid-March. Founded in 1976, the food hall located on Panton Street currently offers a range of over 3,000 products spanning food, drink, and lifestyle. The group will extend its ground…
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May- 2020 -1 MayCoronavirus
Business may not survive with social distancing measures, claim restaurants
Three quarters of restaurants in the UK have warned that their businesses may not survive with social distancing measures in place. Operators including café chain Paul as well as JKS have suggested that new measures designed to enforce social distancing could pose an “existential threat” to their businesses, according to…
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Mar- 2020 -27 MarchCoronavirus
Casual Dining Show 2020 cancelled
Event organisers Diversified Communications has announced it has taken the decision to cancel the Casual Dining Show 2020. The news, revealed in an email, comes after the scheduled event venue – London’s ExCeL – is to be converted into a makeshift hospital. NHS Nightingale as it will be called will…
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