Wok & Go, the Asian food franchise operation led by Des Pheby, has lined up four new stores as part of its ongoing target to open 10 UK stores a year, M&C Report has learnt.
A site in Bangor, North Wales is currently being fitted out to open in February; multiple franchisee Take Out Brands is opening a site in Manchester’s Piccadilly; the company has an offer on a site in Putney for its first London restaurant; and his seeking a site in Bristol for a newly signed franchisee to open in the city.
Pheby described Manchester as “an obvious gap” in the group’s current portfolio and somewhere Wok and Go has been seeking a site suitable for nearly two years.
The London investment group Take Out Brands, which is involved in the Manchester Piccadilly restaurant, is committed to open five sites under franchise next year, which Pheby said will bring the total number of restaurants opening in 2015 to nine or 10.
Meanwhile overseas, Wok & Go is expanding its joint venture in Kuwait to open more restaurants under franchise next year and is in advanced negotiations to bring the concept to India and the Middle East.
To enter these new markets Pheby said the menu will be developed to suit domestic tastes, including the addition of more vegetarian dishes for Indian customers.
“Next year will be a big one internationally and we will continue as we are in the UK. By the end of next year we hope to grow from 18 to 25 or 28 restaurants in the UK and if we have signed a major deal over seas as well as expanding our Kuwait deal it will be a great year.”
The group currently has a stronghold is in the north west of England with additional restaurants in Brighton, Cambridge and Cardiff where Pheby is hoping to open a second restaurant in each city as well as staggering openings across the country.
The most recently opened sites, in Cardiff, Leeds and York, brought the number of new sites this year to six and the total UK estate to 18.
