Beginning on 25 November, the new collaboration sees the health-focused Asian inspired brand expand its diversification into new channels outside its traditional high street restaurants.
It follows the announcement of its partnership with health insurance provider Vitality earlier this year, and the launch of its catering business, which supplies sushi platters and salads to large corporate offices including law firms, universities and financial institutions.
Through its new catering arm, the group is also able to expand its reach to more customers in the workplace via corporate platforms like Feedr and Just Eat for Business, with sales in these new channels up 250% year-on-year.
The brand has also been serving Itsu in the retail kiosks and within the Debenture lounges at Wimbledon Tennis Championships for the past two years, and is looking to build on this partnership next year.
Neil Miller, chief customer officer, told MCA, Restaurant‘s sister site, that with Itsu already having a strong presence on the high street, it wants to look at other ways of broadening people’s access to the brand, which reflect the change in consumer working and living habits
He said the business is looking at ways to expand beyond just restaurants through delivery, corporate catering, and partnerships with sporting venues.
“This isn’t just about selling food. This is about partnering in the right way,” he said.
“It has to be a balance between customer opportunity and health. We are obsessed with health and we’re not just going to be partnering for partner’s sake… we are quite selective in the partners we want to work with.”
Miller reiterated that Itsu’s diversification into new channels would not replace its focus on opening new restaurants, with the brand looking to grow the channels alongside each other.
Itsu has opened six new sites across the UK and France this year, with a seventh location opening on Oxford Street on 9 December.
It will also be opening a new location in Manchester’s Trafford Centre in January, and its 2025 pipeline includes sites in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.