Could America be a Land of Opportunity for expanding UK restaurant groups?

It feels like every other week we hear of a new US restaurant brand that’s gearing up to plant its flag on British shores. In recent months there’s been the news of Californian burger brand Carl’s Jr. signing a new master license agreement with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG); rumours of Chick-fil-A looking to have another go at establishing a UK foothold; and Azzurri Group’s plan to expand LA-founded fast casual concept Dave’s Hot Chicken across the country.

On the flipside to this, though, we’re also seeing a growing curiosity among UK restaurant groups looking to make a play for the US market. Last week, Dishoom announced it will make its transatlantic debut in August​​ in the form of a collaboration with Keith McNally’s famed French brasserie Pastis in New York City's Meatpacking District, with the Indian restaurant group’s breakfast naan roll and chilli cheese toast both likely to feature on the menu.

Dishoom has never spoken explicitly about wanting to expand beyond the UK, where it currently operates 10 restaurants under its core brand and a further two via its Permit Room offshoot, but it’s hard to imagine the group wouldn’t be looking to at least scope out its prospects for a move to the US via the collaboration.

Other operators are more openly plotting such a move. London-based restaurant group JKS is ‘actively exploring’ opportunities in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas​​, with both its Gymkhana and Brigadiers brands understood to be primed for an appearance Stateside. San Carlo Group, meanwhile, is set to make its US debut in the coming months with a restaurant in Miami, which will be a test site for potential future expansion in the country​​.

Then there are those that have already made the transatlantic leap. Richard Caring chose Miami for the first US site of Sexy Fish when it launched there in 2022, and prior to that Kurt Zdesar did the same with Chotto Matte. Zdesar’s move proved particularly savvy​​, with Chotto Matte arriving in the Florida city ahead of a number of his competitors back in 2018 and becoming quickly well established. He has since followed it up with a Chotto Matte in San Francisco, with sites in Los Angeles, Nashville and Philadelphia also mooted.

Arguably the most high-profile success in recent years, though, is Hawksmoor. The steakhouse group opened its first international site in New York City’s Flatiron District (pictured below) back in 2021. At the time, co-founder Will Beckett described the move as ‘a logical progression’ for the business, telling Restaurant​: “We really want to grow and that there’s a limit to what we could do in the UK.” Sure enough, earlier this year the group launched in Chicago​​, and has hinted at further openings in key cities in North America in the coming years.

It's not all plain sailing, though. The US is one of the most fiercely competitive restaurant markets in the world – as expensive as it is expansive. Cracking it has historically proven difficult for UK restaurant brands, particularly those in the casual dining space. Brands including Carluccio’s, Pizza Express, and YO! have all tried and failed to make an impact.

Despite the competitive environment, it’s not hard to see why so many UK brands continue to be drawn to the US, though. Get it right and the rewards are potentially massive. In a recent conversation with Indian restaurant group Kricket, for example, the founders revealed that they would rather expand internationally than regionally, with the US noted as a place of interest.

Whether Kricket or Dishoom ever opt to take the US market remains to be seen, but if they do, they will be in good company. The potential for UK brands is plain to see, and for those willing to take the risk, it remains a land of opportunity.