Wasabi, the London-based sushi and bento chain led by Dong Hyun Kim, has appointed former G1 Group director James Brown as its new director of operations, M&C Report has learnt.
Brown left G1 earlier this year after 11 years with the Scotland-based hospitality business, including 10 years as head of operations and a further year as director of business development.
He developed and launched the group’s own booking/enquiry and customer relation management system called Sliced Bread
He joins the 39-strong Wasabi as it gears up to open in Cambridge and launch its second site in New York.
The company, which saw turnover top £70m in the 16 months to December 2013, has also secured sites in the capital at 293 Oxford Street, 59-61 Borough High Street and 6 St Pancras Square, Kings Cross.
The group has secured a site in New York’s Fulton Street for an opening later this year. It is due to open in the city’s Westfield WTC scheme this month.
The company, which said that this year should see it explore additional funding options to complete anticipated store openings “in order to achieve the best commercial advantage to the company”, is set to ramp up its regional expansion plans this year, including the launch of its first airport site at Luton Airport and a unit at the Lion Yard Shopping Centre in Cambridge.
