Vapiano, the fast-casual dining concept from Germany, is planning a significant rollout across the UK, with the aim of growing to 25 outlets within the next five years.
The company, which will open its first British site on Regent Street on 4 June, wants the brand to become a household name as it has in Germany where it has 21 stores.
Ian Daly, the former compass executive, who will spearhead the company’s expansion in this country together with Mary Mclaughlin, the ex-La Tasca managing director, is looking to initially develop four sites in Central London and the City, with Covent Garden and Canary Wharf as targets.
Daly told M&C Report that the group would then look further afield at sites in South and South East England, followed by the Midlands and the North of England in the third and fourth year.
Daly said: “I am not ashamed to say that we are going where the disposable income is before stretching our infrastructure.
“The caveat is that the business model has been taken from Germany, so we may need to make some minor tweaks.
“We plan to make the first UK site successful in the first three to six months after opening and then we may look to make changes to things including staff, service and menus.”
The UK rollout will initially be funded by the parent company in Germany, but the group hopes to get financial backing for the venture from banks once the concept has been launched. It said that it was not looking to private equity at the moment.
Vapiano has already been expanded to six European countries through franchising agreements, including Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary, with two new sites to open in Poland this year.
The group also has three company-owned stores in the US, all in Washington DC and it is currently developing three new sites that will be franchised in Florida, Dallas and Boston.
