Barry Hilton is to step down as operations director at Yalla Yalla, the Lebanese restaurant concept that serves a take on Beirut street food, to develop his own restaurant concept, M&C Report understands.
Hilton, the former Black & Blue operations director, who joined the group in 2012, is understood to working with another sector operator on the new concept, which is looking to launch in London.
His departure from Yalla Yalla comes at a time when the group has put a check on its plans to secure new funding.
Hilton joined the chain, which is led by Agnieszka Ilska and her ex-Kenza chef partner Jad Youssef, after leaving the seven-strong Black & Blue business in June 2012.
The company had been in talks with a number of private equity groups regarding new investment and it looked to ramp up ramping up its expansion plans.
However, it is now thought that the company is set to concentrate on enhancing the offer at its existing estate which includes two restaurants in the capital and a pop up site in Shoreditch High Street.
