Cote, the French brasserie chain backed by Richard Caring, for which Investcorp is believed to be the frontrunner to acquire, has completed the acquisition of its first site in the North, in York, which is set to be the first of a number of strategic openings the group is looking to make in the region.
The group, which is nearing the end of a sales process, has taken the unit at number 49-51 on Low Petergate Street in the city, with an opening scheduled for this summer.
It is thought that the move will be the first of a number of sites the group is looking to add to its pipeline in the North over the next 18 months, with Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds obvious target locations.
Its current most northern site is in Birmingham.
The York site will become the group’s 44th, its 40th opened in London’s Barbican last Wednesday (28 March). The chain recently secured its 43rd restaurant, the Pigwidgeon and Pye site in Tunbridge Wells. It is also set to open on the former Thai Square unit in Sevenoaks later this spring and on former the House on the Bridge site in Windsor.
The group, which hopes to open 12 sites this year, has so far secured further sites in St Katharine’s Dock and Kingston.
Casey Phillips at Shelley Sandzer acted on the York deal.
