Sat 19th Apr 2025 - F1 world drivers’ champion Fernando Alonso invests in Sticks’n’Sushi F1 world drivers’ champion Fernando Alonso invests in Sticks’n’Sushi: Fernando Alonso, the two-time F1 world drivers’ champion, has acquired a stake in the Danish-Japanese premium restaurant group Sticks‘n’Sushi. Alonso has co-invested alongside McWin Food Ecosystem Fund as a long-term investor in the 30-strong business, which operates 15 sites in the UK. It is understood that Alonso has acquired a stake of more than 20% in Sticks‘n’Sushi. Alonso has been associated with McWin Capital Partners since it was founded in 2021 and is said to be a “strong admirer” of the Danish-Japanese restaurant group. Alonso’s investment alongside McWin is the driver’s first direct investment into a restaurant group and is the “culmination of a longstanding relationship with the McWin Capital Partners team and a personal passion for the quality and brand the Sticks’n’Sushi team has built”. Harry Goss, chairman of Sticks’n’Sushi and partner at McWin Capital Partners, told Propel: “We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with Fernando from the early days of our incorporation. His investment into Sticks’n’Sushi is a tremendous validation of the quality of the business and the clear opportunity it has on the road ahead. Fernando Alonso and Sticks’n’Sushi have a shared passion for excellence, and we are excited to see what this partnership will bring.” Alonso said: “I am excited to have partnered with McWin to invest in the Sticks’n’Sushi restaurant group with the clear objective of making it the ‘brand’ of reference in the Japanese food segment in Great Britain and Europe. Together we share the same core values, and I look forward to this fantastic journey with McWin.” Founded in Denmark in 1994 by Thor Andersen, Kim Rahbek Hansen and Jens Rahbek Hansen, Sticks‘n’Sushi currently also operates three restaurants in Germany, 12 in Denmark and three catering and delivery kitchens. The UK business reported turnover of £47,874,000 in the year to 30 June 2023 (2022: £44,015,000). The company realised Ebitda of £5.6m against £8.8m the year before, and equity of £12.3m compared with £9.6m the previous year. Pre-tax profit stood at £3,874,000 (2022: £7,078,000). The Daily Mail reports that the overall business is estimated to currently turn over about £100m, at a bottom-line profit margin of about 10%. McWin – which also backs the likes of Gail’s, Big Mamma Group and White Rabbit Projects – acquired a majority stake in the then 27-strong Sticks’n’Sushi at the start of 2024, in a deal which was believed to be valued at circa €80m (£68.5m). The deal saw McWin back the existing management team, led by Andreas Karlsson, and support its growth in existing territories – the UK, Denmark and Germany – and to move into new ones such as France, Austria and Switzerland. Last February, Sticks‘n’Sushi secured a new £22m loan from OakNorth to further support its growth plans. Talking to Propel last year, about the company’s expansion plans outside London, including links to a possible opening in Manchester, Karlsson said: “I’ve started to look at opportunities outside of London and the south east for the next 12 to 24 months. We are working on a strategy to explore a new city and we always look at opening more than one where we go. It’s all about seeing if when we open in a city, we can do three or four restaurants over a period of two to three years.” Sticks‘n’Sushi features in Propel’s highly anticipated International Brands report, featuring the 100 leading international brands in UK hospitality, which has now launched. This in-depth report explores company histories, leadership structures, site numbers and turnover figures – an essential tool for industry professionals navigating the UK hospitality market. The top 100 includes expanding brands from markets such as the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia. The guide will be sent out as two files – an introductory PDF featuring deep dives into international brands from Propel’s writers, and a fully searchable Excel sheet for easy access to key data. The analysis includes Matteo Frigeri, founder of Seeds Consulting, on the challenges of recruiting the right UK franchisee, Michael Ingemann, director of Think Hospitality, on why European brands chose the UK for expansion, and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vanifatova examining the UK market for quick service restaurant operators. The International Brands report is available for £595 plus VAT, with existing Premium Club members able to purchase at a discounted rate of £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive it free on Friday, 9 May at 9am. Order your copy today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.