Vapiano to reopen UK sites following acquisition

Property specialist Harper Dennis Hobbs has been appointed by Italian restaurant chain Vapiano to help secure the future of the business in the UK.

Following Vapiano’s parent company entering administration in Germany, the brand and the majority of its sites were purchased by Love and Food Restaurant Holdings led by former director Mario C Bauer.

Harper Dennis Hobbs was appointed to secure new leases with landlords, ensuring sites could reopen and more than 200 jobs would be saved.

Harper, chairman of Harper Dennis Hobbs, said: “We are very proud to be working to help secure the future of a brand like Vapiano, a firm favourite of the British restaurant goer.

“It’s undoubtedly a challenging time for operators in the hospitality sector, but our experienced team at Harper Dennis Hobbs have been able to negotiate with multiple landlords to ensure leases are agreed and Vapiano’s sites can reopen”.

Mario C Bauer, co-founder and CEO of the Love & Food group, added: “It was of utmost importance to us to preserve a strong presence in London, a city that is a global show window for brands and concepts, and of course to be able to offer a stable outlook to hundreds of Vapianisti moving forward.

“Partnering with David and his team allowed us to secure the right deals on our most important sites in a short timeframe. Together with HDH we look forward to growing and sustainably expanding our network throughout the United Kingdom.”