The Levant Restaurants Group, the Tony Kitous-led company, is set to start the expansion of its fast-casual format Shawa.
M&C understands that the company, which also operates the 11-strong Comptoir Libanais, has secured a site in the Bluewater shopping scheme for the Lebanese grill concept.
It currently operates one site under the format in Westfield London, but Kitrous said earlier this year that the group was hoping to add a further two locations by the end of 2015.
It is currently looking at further regional openings for core brand Compotir Libanais, as it gears up to make its debut in the north west. The group will open in Manchester’s Spinningfields at 3 Hardman Street later this autumn.
M&C understands that the group is also in talks on sites in Leeds, Oxford and Reading, which it hopes to add to its estate during 2016.
The group, which counts former The Restaurant Group executive Trish Corzine as a non-executive director, plans to open between four and five new sites each year for the next two years before further ramping up its expansion programme.
