Kuwaiti healthy-eating cafés plan

A Kuwait-based food service group has earmarked £30m for a foray into the UK restaurant market.

Kout Food Group (KFG), which runs 150 mainly casual dining sites in the Middle East, is planning a chain of healthy-eating cafés called Nuts About Life, and has three London restaurant projects in the pipeline.

Costa Peridakis, KFG vice-president of commercial development, said: "The UK has a very imaginative approach to food which, together with flexible labour and investment laws, means there are many advantages for us."

The first Nuts About Life site, which will open next month on Fetter Lane, in London's Holborn, cost £250,000 to set up. Peridakis said the 2,200sq ft café, which has 84 seats over two floors, will turn over about £12,000 a week.

KFG plans a total of between 20 and 30 cafés, which will be self-service venues offering nut-based dishes, smoothies and salads.

Peridakis would not reveal details about the restaurant ventures but said he was in talks with "big name" chefs. He described the projects as "casual dining with a twist", and "totally untried in the UK".

By Tom Bill

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