Russel Joffe, co-founder and managing director of Giraffe, has told M&C Report that the group’s relationship with new owner Tesco was “going well” and that both groups were at the start of a “great journey” as they gear up to open their first joint site next month in Watford.
Joffe said that the companies had a strategy planned for the roll out of Giraffe but would take a sensible approach to expansion in order to “protect the brand”.
He also said that the group was working on a number of ideas to “freshen up” the brand across its existing estate over the coming year.
Joffe also said that the group’s first overseas site in Dubai was going well and that it hoped to open a couple more restaurants in the region in the next 12 months.
Earlier this week, the company confirmed that it will open its first site within a Tesco store next month (5 August) in the Extra superstore in Watford, as revealed by M&C Report in April.
The company, which was acquired by the supermarket giant earlier this year for £48.5m, also reiterated that it planned to open 10 restaurants in Tesco stores and five new high street sites over the next 12 months.
Joffe said: “The early days of the relationship have been great. Everyone is learning about each other and everyone is very motivated to start this new venture on the right foot. We have said that we hope to open 10 joint sites over the next 12 months but we will be comfortable if that isn’t achieved. We are focused on a sensible rollout that is realistic for the brand and allows us to bring the right people into the business and develop those existing members of staff.”
