Big Table Group acquires Banana Tree
Anne Chow will continue to lead the brand as managing director, reporting to The Big Table Group’s chief executive officer (CEO) Alan Morgan
The Big Table Group, operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge, has acquired the fast-casual Pan-Asian restaurant chain, Banana Tree, adding a new cuisine flavour to its family of restaurant brands.
The group said Banana Tree is famous for its authentic, exotic and street-food inspired dishes, with flavours from Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Founded over 30 years ago by William Chow, the business started as a single site in Maida Vale, London, and currently operates in nine high-footfall locations in the South East – across London as well as sites in Chelmsford, Milton Keynes and Oxford.
Anne Chow will continue to lead the brand as managing director, reporting to The Big Table Group’s CEO Alan Morgan. William Chow, an architect by training, will return to his original passion and work on the design of new Banana Trees with The Big Table Group team.
The Big Table Group said Banana Tree is a complimentary extension aligned with key consumer trends, including flavourful, fresh and convenient food, at an affordable price point and with favourable sustainability credentials, with 40% of its menu being plant-based.
Alan Morgan, Big Table Group CEO, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming the Banana Tree team to The Big Table Group. Creating, growing and acquiring high-quality, complimentary brands with widespread consumer appeal is a key part of our growth strategy and therefore Banana Tree is an excellent addition to the business.
“Anne and William have built a brand with an extremely loyal following, superb food and guest scores, plus excellent financial metrics, and we see great opportunities to grow the business, taking it into new towns and cities around the UK.”
Anne Chow, managing director of Banana Tree, added: “We are very excited about this new chapter with The Big Table Group, and look forward to working with our new colleagues and bringing our beloved brand to new customers across the UK.”
Last year, The Big Table Group announced plans to open 50 new restaurants and refurbish 70 existing sites over the next three years, investing £35m in new openings alone. The investment will take the group to 200 restaurants across the UK, while the company intends to invest a further £19m to refurbish its restaurants.
