BabaBoom’s QSR format has significant potential for rollout as the concept looks for a buyer, managing director Graham Ford tells MCA.
The fresh kebab concept – founded in 2016 by Eve Bugler, currently COO at Loungers – operates two profitable sites in London, with a sales process begun last week.
Its Battersea location is a ‘neighbourhood casual’ format, while the Westfield Stratford site is more QSR-oriented.
“Covid was a gamechanger for the brand,” Ford says. “Before that, we were more of a restaurant that did a decent proportion of delivery sales.
“As a result of Covid, we opened a QSR format…the look, feel, and branding is ready to be rolled out, so we think it’s a good time to take it to the market.”
BabaBoom’s annual revenue stands at £2.1m, along with 16% annual like-for-like sales growth and £9m in lifetime revenue.
The brand owes its success to high quality, freshness of product, and value for money, according to Ford: “This has led us to a position where BabaBoom sits well in the QSR market.
“Both our sites are strong performers, and Battersea does really well on delivery,” he added. “We think the QSR format has the ability to be scaled…QSR as a market is great value and still demand-driven. Delivery has meant brands within that marketplace have done well.”
When it comes to a buyer, the idea is to find one that can take the brand to its next stage of expansion, with an opportunity for consolidation in the wider kebab market.
“There’s no one dominant player; opportunity is clearly there. We could be that brand.
“We look at brands like Tortilla and feel BabaBoom could sit alongside those quite happily.”
