BAO announces new strategic partner

After 10 years partnering with JKS Restaurants, BAO has brought in a new strategic partner, The Lo & Behold Group (TLBG) – a Singaporean operator that will support the brand through its next phase of growth.

Founded by Shing Tat Chung, Erchen Chang and Wai Ting Chung, BAO began as a street food stall in East London’s Netil Market. Since partnering with JKS in 2015, the group has won several accolades and has grown to seven restaurants across the city, including the latest addition to the family, BAO City, the group’s restaurant and karaoke flagship.

A new era for BAO

From July, TLBG will step into JKS’s shoes as BAO’s new partner. Founded by Teng Wen Wee in 2005, TLBG’s portfolio includes three Michelin-starred French restaurant Odette, award-winning brands The Warehouse Hotel and Tanjong Beach Club, to name a few. The partnership marks the group’s first foray out of Singapore.

BAO co-founder and CEO Shing Tat Chung comments: "BAO’s success is thanks to the belief that Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina placed in us. Our partnership took us from a humble street-food stall to opening seven restaurants together, and we’ve learned so much from their relentless drive for excellence. As we look ahead to the next 10 years, we’re thrilled to partner with TLBG, looking forward to the energy and vision they’ll bring to our journey. Together, we embark on an exhilarating new chapter, one that will carry BAO, fuelled by our shared passion for creativity and innovation, into an exciting new era.”

Teng Wen Wee, managing partner of TLBG, adds: “We’ve long admired how BAO turns deeply personal stories into wildly original, boundary-pushing restaurants. Shing, Erchen and Wai Ting have built something rare, a brand that is both uncompromisingly creative and commercially resonant. At The Lo & Behold Group, we’ve always believed in partnering founders with a point of view and the courage to express it. We’re honoured to join BAO on this next chapter and, together, we hope to continue surprising and delighting audiences across borders.”

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