Individual Restaurants reveals ambitious growth plans

Individual Restaurants, headquartered in the north-west and overseeing a portfolio of 31 restaurants nationwide, has unveiled ambitious growth plans in the wake of a landmark year marked by record Christmas sales, strategic investments across the estate and a string of new openings.

The group, which owns and operates the Piccolino, Riva Blu and Restaurant Bar & Grill brands, has released its accounts for the year to March 2024. It has seen its most profitable year to date, with a turnover of £74m and a like-for-like sales increase of 6%.

This was driven by strong growth in Christmas covers under the direction of a newly appointed CEO, Andrew Garton, who joined the business in January 2023. Garton delivered a 20% increase in year-on-year sales for December 2023. 

Restaurant revamps

Individual Restaurants invested over £6m within the business last year, including refurbishments and refits across its existing estate and the launch of a £2m Piccolino Grande in Wilmslow, Cheshire. The Leeds Restaurant Bar & Grill, situated in the landmark Old Post Office Building in City Square, and Piccolino in Stockton Heath were two sites that underwent significant refurbishments during the summer of 2023. 

This follows a series of refits across the group in recent years, including the flagship Piccolino Mayfair restaurant, Exchange Square Piccolini in London, Bramhall Piccolino in Cheshire, Opera Grill in Chester and Bank Bar & Grill in Birmingham. 

The opening of Piccolino Grande Wilmslow marked the evolution of the Italian brand, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. 

The operator has continued to invest in its sites throughout 2024, with the latest evolution of the Piccolino brand leading in the home counties in Marlow and Henley, and plans to expand further. 

The senior team has also seen several changes, with Garton promoting David Carroll to chief business officer and Mark Window to group executive chef, and hiring Selena Green as commercial and insight director. Staff turnover has seen a vast improvement year-on-year which, alongside a high employee engagement score of 78%, has seen the group named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 listing. 

"It has been a milestone year for Individual Restaurants, with significant investment made across our existing estate and a continued focus on growing our portfolio of restaurants," says Garton. "The company continues to showcase resilient performance in the face of escalating cost-of-living challenges, maintaining a steadfast commitment to delivering a high-quality experience to all guests, along with making long-term investment initiatives."

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