 | |
| Formerly | China Diner Limited (1991–1992) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Japanese restaurant + noodle bar |
| Founded | 29 April 1991 |
| Founder | Alan Yau |
| Headquarters | , United Kingdom |
Number of locations | 190+ |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Thomas Heier (CEO) |
| Owner | Apollo Global Management |
| Website | wagamama |
Wagamama (stylised as wagamama) is a British restaurant chain. The brand is inspired by fast-paced, Japanese ramen bars and offers a celebration of asian food.
Wagamama Limited was incorporated on 29 April 1991 as China Diner Limited, [1] and their first restaurant was opened in 1992 in Bloomsbury, London, founded by Alan Yau, who subsequently created the Chinese restaurants Hakkasan and Yauatcha, and Thai restaurant Busaba Eathai. [2] In June 2005, the restaurant's owner Graphite Capital sold the majority stake of 77.5% to Lion Capital LLP for £103 million. [3] In April 2011, the chain was sold to Duke Street Capital, for an estimated sum of £215 million. [4]
The chain was acquired for £559m by The Restaurant Group, owner of Frankie & Benny's & Chiquito in October 2018. [5] In October 2023 The Restaurant Group was taken over by Apollo Global Management [6] in a deal worth over £700m.
In September 2024, The Restaurant Group (TRG) announced plans to increase the number of UK restaurants from 161 to 200-220 [7]
Wagamama has taken the brand global with franchised restaurants in 22 different countries across Europe and the Middle East. [8] There are also 8 company owned locations in the USA [9]
Previous countries served by the Wagamama brand include Australia from 2002 to 2014, [10] [11] New Zealand until 2019, [12] and Belgium from 2005 to 2024. [13]
Wagamama has released three cookbooks in order to further extend its brand.
The first site on Streatham Street, Bloomsbury, London, closed permanently on 19 June 2016. [14]
The word wagamama (わがまま) is Japanese for "self-indulgent", "self-centred", “picky”, “fussy”, "disobedient", or "wilful". [15] Wagamama brands itself as following the process of kaizen. [16]
In November 2015, the chain was named by the Marine Conservation Society as one of seven restaurants surveyed that failed to meet a basic level of sustainability in its seafood. [17] However, this was later retracted, as Wagamama revealed more information about the origin of its seafood. [18]
In December 2017, Wagamama apologised after it was revealed some workers in Finchley were warned they would face disciplinary action if calling in sick over Christmas. The manager of the North Finchley branch asserted it was the responsibility of staff members, according to their contracts and handbook, to find somebody to cover their shifts. Wagamama said this was an isolated incident, not part of its employment policy. [19]
During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine, Wagamama’s owner, The Restaurant Group closed 250 restaurants, with a loss of nearly 4,500 jobs. [20]
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Darden has more than 1,800 restaurant locations and more than 175,000 employees, making it the world's largest full-service restaurant company. The company began as an extension of Red Lobster, founded by William Darden and initially backed by General Mills. Red Lobster was later sold in July 2014.
Captain Ds, LLC. is an American fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in seafood and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The chain was founded as Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers by Raymond L. Danner Sr. on August 15, 1969, in Donelson, Tennessee. The chain is currently owned by private-equity firm Centre Partners. Captain D's currently has more than 500 locations in the United States.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058 mi (1.703 km) oval track in Loudon, New Hampshire. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR, IndyCar, modified races, and the Loudon Classic. The venue has a capacity of 44,000 as of 2024. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is currently owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and is led by track general manager David McGrath.
Rockingham Speedway and Entertainment Complex is a 1.017-mile (1.637 km) D-shaped oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1965, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. It has a 32,000-seat capacity as of 2012. Rockingham Speedway is currently owned by Rockingham Properties, LLC, and is led by Rockingham Properties majority owner Dan Lovenheim.
Sbarro, LLC is an American fast food restaurant that specializes in New York–style pizza sold by the slice and other Italian-American cuisine. In 2011, the company was ranked 15th in foreign sales among U.S.-based quick-serve and fast-casual companies by QSR Magazine. In 2008, Sbarro was rated the No. 1 Quick Service Restaurant in the Italian segment by Entrepreneur magazine. However, diners and critics have criticized the quality of the food, with some suggesting a link between food quality and the company's two bankruptcies. Sbarro has over 600 locations in 28 countries. Sbarro stores are located in shopping malls, airports, service areas, and college campuses, as well as in The Pentagon, American naval bases, and casinos.
James Joseph Greco is an American businessman and entrepreneur. Currently, he serves as the chief executive officer of Tijuana Flats. Throughout his career, he has held numerous executive positions in the foodservice industry, as well as various directorships.
Lion Capital LLP is a British private equity firm specialising in investments in the consumer sector. Previous and current consumer brands owned by Lion have included Weetabix, Jimmy Choo, Wagamama, Kettle Foods and AllSaints.
Frankie & Benny's is a chain of Italian-American-themed restaurants in the United Kingdom run by The Big Table. As of November 2022, it had 90 outlets nationwide.
The Big Table Group Limited, trading as Bella Italia, is a chain of over 90 restaurants offering meals inspired by Italian cuisine in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The chain is part of The Big Table, which also owns Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny's and Las Iguanas.
The Restaurant Group plc is a British chain of restaurants and public houses. Their principal trading brands are Wagamama and Barburrito. The Group also operates Pub restaurants and a Concessions business which trades principally at UK airports.
Duke Street Capital is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in middle-market companies in Western Europe, particularly the UK and France. Duke Street invests across four sectors: consumer, healthcare, industrials/engineering, and services. It focuses on companies with an enterprise value up to £400 million.
Chiquito is a restaurant chain based in the United Kingdom specialising in Tex-Mex foods. It also serves food via its virtual restaurants Cornstar Tacos and Kickass Burritos.
Lyndon Lea is an English financier and investor, known for co-founding Lion Capital which specializes in making investments in the consumer sector. Notable previous and current consumer brands owned by Lion have included Weetabix, Jimmy Choo, Wagamama, Kettle Foods and AllSaints.
Hutton Collins Partners is a London-based private equity firm founded in 2002 by Graham Hutton and Matthew Collins, who are both partners in the firm. The generalist investor aims at mid-size Western European, and especially Spanish, French and Italian businesses. Their investments span from €35 to €100 million in businesses valued between €100 and €500 million. They focus on business and financial services, leisure and healthcare.
The Big Table Group Limited, formerly Tragus Group and Casual Dining Group (CDG), is a hospitality company in the United Kingdom. The Big Table operates restaurants primarily under the Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny's and Las Iguanas names. It also operates sites under the Banana Tree, Chiquito, Coast to Coast, Firejacks and Filling Station brands. It is owned by Epiris.
Koo Koo Roo was an American fast casual restaurant chain specializing in charbroiled chicken founded in 1988 by Los Angeles-based restaurateurs Mike and Ray Badalian. The name "Koo Koo Roo" was an onomatopoeic reference to the crow of a rooster. After a series of expansions and ownership changes, in which Koo Koo Roo struggled for profitability throughout the 1990s, the last location in Santa Monica, California, closed in 2014.
EG Group Limited is a British operator of filling stations, convenience stores and food service providers across Europe, the United States and Australia. It was founded in Blackburn in 2001 by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, initially as Euro Garages.
Deep Pan Pizza was a chain of British pizza restaurants, that was best known for its "all you can eat" business model.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)