Wagamama, the fast-casual noodle chain led by Steve Easterbrook, has lined up a further four openings for the first half of the year, after opening its latest site in London in Finchley.
The group opened its 36th site and 89th in the UK in total at the Great North Leisure Park scheme. It recently secured a 3,500sq ft unit in Cribbs Causeway, near Bristol, on a 20-year lease and also has openings in Dorchester, Plymouth and Hammersmith in the pipeline.
It recently appealed against a decision to refuse it planning permission to convert a retail unit in Chichester city centre into a restaurant.
The group, which is backed by Duke Street Capital, plans to open 15-20 sites in total in the next 12 months across the UK. If that figure is achieved it will open its 100th UK site by the end of 2013.
The company, which saw pre-tax profit rise 11% to £17.4m in the year to 29 April 2012, as turnover climbed 12% to £124m, has retained Cushman & Wakefield to advise on its expansion plans.
