Various Eateries, the Hugh Osmond-backed parent company of Strada and Coppa Club, has appointed Sue Walter as chief executive, MCA has learnt.
Walter, who has been chief executive at the Hospital Club for the last six years, will head up the two brands and the fledgling 31 Below, which launched in Marylebone in February, and is currently being refurbished for a relaunch next month.
The group has also appointed Oli Williams, formerly group financial controller at Itsu, as finance director.
It comes as the group reports £8.6m of sales in its first quarter, to the end of December 2017. The five-strong Coppa Club saw like-for-like sales growth of over 40% to £2.7m during the period.
Last week MCA reported that Tiffany Renwick had stepped aside as Coppa Club managing director. The company said she would continue to work closely with Walter and Williams in her role as a director and shareholder in Various Eateries.
On its pipeline for 2018, the group confirmed that a sixth Coppa Club would open in Maidenhead this summer, with plans in the pipeline for further clubs and bars across the UK.
On the currently 13-strong Strada the company said that several sites are earmarked for redevelopment into Coppa Clubs or café bars, while the rest are being sold.
Walter said: “I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting and pivotal time. I am inspired by the group’s commitment to creating local spaces that adapt to complement the way we work, live and socialise. We are ambitious to continue to evolve and grow in line with the needs of our communities. I have a great team and I am looking forward to working with them to lead the company into the next phase of its development.”
Osmond, who is chairman of Various Eateries said: “It’s great to be back in my favourite industry and amazing how some things have changed so much, while some things just haven’t. I am rather stunned by the extent of Coppa Club’s success and extremely pleased to now have Sue Walter and Oli Williams on board to take charge of the next phase. It will be exciting.”
