The Thai Leisure Group, the company behind the Chaophraya brand, has lined up four further openings for Thaikhun, its street food-inspired concept, after securing a new funding package, M&C Report understands.
The group is believed to have secured a new funding package with Santander, despite interest from the Business Growth Fund.
It has also secured further openings for Thaikhun in Oxford and Cambridge, and is in advanced talks on sites in Guildford and Nottingham for the format.
The site at the Quayside in Cambridge will open at the end of April, with the restaurant on the site of the former Cleaver in Oxford will open a month later.
The group has lined up in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre for later this year.
It currently operates sites in Manchester and Aberdeen under the fledgling concept.
The group is planning a significant roll-out programme of up 20 sites in the next three to four years, with a focus on Thaikhun.
Ian Leigh, director of group operations at Thai Leisure Group, said “We are focusing more on Thaihkun because that is where we think the big market is – there’s more capacity there.”
He said that while Chaophraya is suited to prominent locations in larger cities, Thaikhun would work well in any high footfall location on high streets or shopping centres.
He said they have been offered sites all across the country and is interested in the south coast including Brighton, Southampton and Portsmouth; towards the west in Reading, Bath and Bristol; east of London to Milton Keynes and Leicester.
