Exclusive – Gordon Ramsay Restaurants looking to franchise in new markets, seeking ‘exceptional partners to join world-renowned portfolio of brands’: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants is looking to franchise in new markets and is seeking “exceptional partners to join its world-renowned portfolio of brands”, Propel has learned. With 94 restaurants spanning the globe, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants already franchises overseas, and last summer launched into India after signing a partnership with Travel Food Services (TFS), one of India’s leading food and beverage operators. The group is now looking to expand in the Middle East and south east Asian markets, as well as the US – with brands including Gordon Ramsay Street Burger, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Bar & Grill, and Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay – and has partnered with Crimson Management to help find the right partners to grow. “The Gordon Ramsay Group is looking for exceptional franchise partners to join its world-renowned portfolio of brands,” a statement from Bee Smart consultancy stated. “Casual – Gordon Ramsay quality at an affordable price-point and a fast-service environment. Premium casual – a fine selection of premium and scalable concepts, offering guests the opportunity to sample the Gordon Ramsay experience at a more accessible price point. Super premium – seven Michelin stars across our various global super-premium restaurants and concept. There is a concept for every location!” The agreement struck in India last summer will see a three-year opening programme across six restaurant concepts unveiled across multiple Indian travel hubs by 2027. The openings will come under the group’s Street Pizza, Street Burger and Gordon Ramsay Plane Food brands. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants also has a portfolio of circa 35 restaurants across the US, across brands such as Lucky Cat, Pub & Grill, Hell’s Kitchen, Ramsay’s Kitchen, Street Pizza, Street Burger, Bar & Grill, Gordon Ramsay Steak and Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants is opening its new site in London’s Bishopsgate this month, which will feature three new restaurants, a rooftop terrace and a culinary academy. At level 60 in the Bishopsgate development, and now open, is Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, which is Europe's highest restaurant, offering an Asian-inspired menu with 360-degree views of the city, and with a rooftop cocktail terrace by special arrangement open until 3am. Level 60 will also feature a 12-seat chef’s table, which descends from the chef’s Chelsea restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary and its 22nd year maintaining three Michelin stars. Below on level 59, Bread Street Kitchen & Bar by Gordon Ramsay will serve its signature dishes, cocktails and a new afternoon tea experience, while the Gordon Ramsay Academy will see culinary enthusiasts hone their skills in everything from pasta making to mixology. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants features in the Propel 500 report, an unparalleled resource that profiles the UK’s leading hospitality operators ranked by turnover – which is available now. This comprehensive report provides more than 90,000 words of analysis, delving into company histories, leadership structures, site numbers and financial performance, making it an essential resource for industry professionals. A list of the operators included can be discovered now by visiting the Propel 500 page on Propel’s website. The guide is delivered in two parts: an introductory PDF, featuring deep dives into the top 25 companies and 6,500 words of insight from Propel’s expert writers, and a fully searchable Excel sheet, offering easy access to all the data. Key highlights include Mark Wingett’s exploration of mergers and acquisitions shaping the Top 500’s future, Tim Street’s view of the UK’s franchise market, and Phil Pemberton’s insights into experiential leisure as a hospitality cornerstone. Katherine Doggrell examines developments in UK hotels, while Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, identifies emerging growth sectors, and Maria Vanifatova, founder of Meaningful Vision, analyses trends in QSRs. Propel 500 is available now for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club members can purchase it for £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 28 February at 9am. Order the Propel 500 report today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

Scoffs Group expands portfolio with acquisition of Costa Coffee sites on the Channel Islands: Scoffs Group, the largest Costa Coffee franchisee in the UK with 111 stores, has acquired the Costa Coffee stores located on the Channel Islands from Sandpiper CI. The company said that the strategic move is part of its ongoing commitment to “enhance its footprint and deliver exceptional coffee experiences to the customers in Jersey and Guernsey”. The acquisition encompasses four Costa Coffee stores across the region. Antony Tagliamonti, Scoffs Group chief executive said: “We are excited to welcome the talented teams within the Channel Islands into the Scoffs team. Combined with this acquisition we are planning to invest over £300,000 to uplift the stores to Costa Coffee’s newest design including our upgraded digital technology. The acquisition of the Channel Islands stores aligns with our vision of providing first class coffee experiences and continued growth, where we also plan to unlock further sites in the near future. We look forward to building on the strong foundations that Sandpiper CI has established within the region.” The acquisition is the latest undertaken by Scoffs Group on the back of acquiring 20 equity owned stores in 2022 within Cornwall and 59 stores in 2018 across central southern England from another Costa Coffee franchise partner. Last year the business took out a £4m loan to fund its growth plans and said it was actively seeking acquisitions. The business, which last year opened its first franchise site with healthy fast food brand Itsu, said in its accounts for the year to 31 December 2023: “During 2024, the group completed a re-banking exercise involving a migration of the term loan and a creation of a £4,000,000 capital facility ready to be deployed on growth opportunities into 2024 and beyond. The group has already deployed some of this capital into the opening of new stores in 2024 and is actively seeking opportunities to grow via acquisition.” Scoffs Group features in the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database, which is sent exclusively to Premium Club subscribers and currently features 160 businesses. The database, which is sent bi-monthly, is the first time that profiles of the top food and beverage franchisees have been available in one place in the UK. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.