Busaba Eathai, the Thai restaurant chain founded by Alan Yau and backed by Phoenix Capital Partners, has announced plans to double its estate to 20 sites within the next three years.
Development director Joel Falconer told The Telegraph: “We’re looking to develop three or four new sites [this year], focusing on Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol.”
The 10-strong company, which last year reported turnover of £21m, said the key challenge will be recruiting around 40 chefs from Thailand.
Falconer said: ““We have at least four Thai chefs in every Busaba kitchen. We can and do train our own chefs but when it comes to truly understanding the flavours and culture, there are some things you can’t teach. The visa language requirements mean that our chefs need a certified level of English. We’re actually having to coach people in Thailand to help them get over here.
“Consumers have never been more sophisticated. They can spot poor imitations.”
