Big Table Group acquires the Banana Tree restaurant chain
Big Table Group, the operator of brands including Bella Italia, Las Iguanas and Café Rouge, has acquired casual dining chain Banana Tree for an undisclosed sum.
Banana Tree was founded over 30 years ago by William Chow and serves dishes inspired by the cuisine of Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Around 40% of its menu is plant-based.
The group started as a single site in London's Maida Vale and currently operates six restaurants in the capital and one each in Oxford, Chelmsford, and Milton Keynes.
It will join Big Table Group, which is backed by private equity firm Epiris and operates over 150 restaurants in the UK, amid a major expansion drive for the company.
Anne Chow will continue to lead the brand as managing director and report to Big Table Group's chief executive Alan Morgan.
William, an architect by training, will return to his original career and work on the design of new Banana Tree restaurants with the team.
Morgan said: "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 added: "We are very excited about this new chapter with the Big Table Group, and look forward to working with our new colleagues and bring our beloved brand to new customers across the UK."
Big Table Group was created when Epiris bought 150 former Casual Dining Group restaurants out of administration in 2020 for £18m and rebranded the company as the Big Table.
Last year, the 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 programme will take the group to 200 restaurants across the UK, while the company intends to invest a further £19m to refurbish its restaurants.
