Koh Thai reveals growth target, in funding talks
The company is looking at acquire sites across the south, including Cardiff, Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester and Chichester, and is currently in negotiation on outlets in Oxford, Bristol and Poole.
Managing director Andy Lennox told M&C Report: “We are currently in active conversations with a number of different funding streams, including angel funding, private investors, equity houses and platform funding. However we do have strong banking for our bank Natwest, which has pledge to fund a further three sites.”
The company said: “After a six-month consolidation this year where the group created a head office, re-organised its executive management and consolidated brand partnerships with Veuve Cliquot, Asahi and Heinken, Koh Thai Tapas firmly believes it has put in place a organised structure to drive the brand forward.
“With an ambitous target of 20 restaurants by 2018, the group predicts to be the largest Thai group outside of London.”
Koh Thai said it has experienced profit growth of 300 per cent each year since it was founded in 2009.
The company operated a pop-up restaurant for the third consecutive year at the Bournemouth Airshow over four days last week (29 August to 1 September). It featured a 'St Tropez-styled' Thai beach lounge, branded with Asahi and four cocktail bars. There was a brand partnership with Veuve Cliquot to create the 'High Flyers’ Lounge'.