Nearly a year on from its acquisition of Strada, Hugh Osmond’s Sun Capital Partners vehicle, has begun looking for new sites for the 43-strong brand, M&C understands.
Osmond, who acquired the brand in a £37m deal last year, told M&C: “We’re actively looking for new sites and will have trial of the new concept open shortly.”
It is thought that the group is focusing on central London and the south east for new locations.
Sun Capital Partners was one of the parties, which ran the rule over La Tasca, the Spanish tapas restaurant group led by Simon Wilkinson, which was placed on the market earlier this year.
It subsequently pulled out of the process, with the Casual Dining Group believed to be around two weeks away from completing a deal for the 46-strong brand.
Osmond is also thought to have previously run the rule over Polpo, the Russell Norman and Richard Beatty-led business.
Since acquiring Strada, Osmond has overhauled its supply chain to focus on quality and provenance of ingredients. He told M&C earlier this year that improving the quality of dishes was preceding larger changes that will involve refurbishment of the whole estate before returning to acquisitions.
It is thought that the new concept will see the brand move further toward an all-day offer.
