Obica, the international mozzarella bar chain, is seeking to ramp up its presence in London, M&C understands.
The group, which currently operates four sites in the capital, is believed to have retained property agents Restaurant Property to find further site of between 2,000sq ft and 5,000sq ft in locations such as Covent Garden, Victoria, Islington and Holborn.
M&C understands that the company, which is led in the UK by ex-Tragus director Frederic Lluch, has already secured a fifth site in London at Land Securities New Ludgate development.
It will be joined there by Coco di Mama, The Association Coffee and Jamie’s Italian.
Obica, whose main shareholders are NEO Capital and founder Silvio Ursini, currently operates c25 restaurants in Italy, Turkey, Japan and the US. It opened new sites in New York and Dubai last year.
The group launched its first UK site in Canary Wharf at the end of 2011 and opened its second site in the UK in South Kensington in 2013, followed by openings in Charlotte Street and Poland Street.
