The Restaurant Group
This compiles our reporting on The Restaurant Group (TRG), operator of prominent UK brands including Wagamama, Frankie & Benny’s, and Brunning & Price. We cover TRG’s strategic decisions, financial performance, brand portfolio changes, executive leadership moves, site rationalisation, and growth initiatives. Our analysis offers critical insight for restaurant operators, F&B executives, and hospitality professionals tracking the direction of one of the UK’s most influential multi-brand operators in casual dining and pub restaurants.
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Jan- 2019 -23 JanuaryCafes and Coffee Shops
Corbin and King to open ninth restaurant in London’s Soho Square
Jeremy King and Chris Corbin’s restaurant group is set to open its ninth restaurant in 2019 at London’s Soho Square. The group recently announced it was to open its eighth restaurant in St John’s Wood, the group currently operates seven restaurants, with all of them located in London. The tenancy…
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14 JanuaryRestaurants
Carluccio’s strengthens senior team with new additions
Carluccio’s has announced two new appointments as it continues to strengthen its senior management team to support the brand’s ‘Fresca’ transformation programme. Bruce Craig has started in the newly created role of IT director, responsible for leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience and improve processes. Craig has a wealth…
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4 JanuaryRestaurants
Wagamama outperforms sector with 12% sales growth
Asian noodle chain Wagamama has continued to outperform its competitors for almost five years (239 weeks) as it posted a turnover increase of 15.4% to £81.5m in the 28 weeks to 11 November 2018. The company posted a 11.3% UK outperformance of the market for the period. In Q2 2018/19,…
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Dec- 2018 -21 DecemberRestaurants
New Indo-Chinese ‘concept’ restaurant to open in Soho
The restaurant group behind Bombay Chow, Station 31, and Imperial Lounge, has announced it is to open a fourth Indo-Chinese “concept” restaurant in Soho. Opening at the former site of Tabun Kitchen at 77 Berwick Street, the restaurant is expected to start serving from March 2019, following “a comprehensive refurbishment”.…
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20 DecemberRestaurants
Wagamama to share £4m bonus among staff following TRG sale
Wagamama is to give its employees Christmas bonuses of up to £2,000 from a £4m pot following the sale of the Asian dining chain to The Restaurant Group (TRG) for £599m. Provided they have worked for the company for at least 12 months, head chefs and managers will receive £2,000…
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Nov- 2018 -28 NovemberBusiness
The Restaurant Group acquisition of Wagamama to go ahead
The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) acquisition of Wagamama is to go ahead despite 40% of shareholders voting against the deal. Shares in the group sank by 13% on Wednesday, with big name shareholders concerned about price and debt levels for the group. Debbie Hewitt, chairwoman of TRG, said she was pleased…
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21 NovemberBusiness
TRG investors to oppose Wagamama acquisition
The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) investors are planning to vote against the company’s proposal to acquire Wagamama as they have said it “throws up too many red flags”. Columbia Threadneedle Investments, which owns 7.7% of TRG, have confirmed they are planning to oppose the proposal in a meeting on 28 November.…
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14 NovemberAdvice
Customer at the heart: product and pricing strategies
With increasing financial pressures and a tough climate, casual dining brands strive to balance winning custom with achieving margins. Certainly not easy to achieve simultaneously. We ask how operators can both grow their margins, and entice new (and often price-sensitive) customers, all while maintaining their current customer base and staying…
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12 NovemberBusiness
Restaurant Group plans rights issue to fund Wagamama purchase
The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced it is a offer a discounted rights issue in order to fund its purchase of Wagamama. As many as 290 million new shares are set to be issued in a ‘13 for nine’ rights issue priced at 108.5p. Current shareholders and analysts have already…
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Oct- 2018 -31 OctoberRestaurants
Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville’s Manchester restaurant to close
Former Manchester United footballers, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, are to close their Manchester restaurant on 17 November. Restaurant group GG Hospitality confirmed that The Rabbit In The Moon was to close despite the restaurant undergoing a rebrand earlier this year, after head chef Michael O’Hare departed from his position…
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