Rosa's Thai Cafe planning to open up to six restaurants a year

Rosa's Thai Cafe is continuing its expansion push with plans to open up to six new restaurants a year going forwards.

The casual dining brand, which has 28 sites across the UK, is looking to grow through a mix of dine-in restaurants and ‘cloud kitchen' delivery sites.

It is anticipated that half of these will be in London and half outside the capital, following the success of openings in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.

Rosa's managing director Gavin Adair told The Caterer the brand could open eight or more locations over the next 12 months.

According to recent filings the company kept more than half of its estate open for takeaway and delivery during lockdown, meaning it did not have to take on further debt in the form of loans during the pandemic.

However, director Adair wrote in its accounts that the split between eat-in and delivery customers may force the group to "re-evaluate the viability of some sites and rent each site is able to carry".

"The ambition to significantly grow the estate remains intact," Adair wrote.

Rosa's was founded by Alex and Saiphin Moore in London's Spitalfields in 2008 and has been rapidly expanding since private equity firm TriSpan acquired a majority stake in 2018.

It now has 28 sites, including four cloud kitchens and a Rosa's Thai Veggie delivery site, plus Lao Café in London's Covent Garden.

The group's first restaurant in Birmingham is due to fully open at the Paradise development, alongside Dishoom and Vinoteca, later this year.