PizzaExpress, Ask and Zizzi owner Gondola has overtaken pub operator Mitchells & Butlers as the UK's largest restaurant group with 525 venues.
The new entrants this year are food-led pub group Laurel (thanks to its acquisition of the La Tasca Spanish tapas bar chain) and Paramount (formerly Groupe Chez Gerarde) which more than trebled its number of outlets when it bought Caffè Uno from The Restaurant Group.
These figures are reported in British Hospitality: Trends and Statistics 2007, published by the British Hospitality Association.
The full report (which is free to BHA members) can be bought for £195 (for the printed version) or £146.25 (for a PDF file).
For enquiries or orders, phone 0207 404 7744 or contact bob.bacon@bha.org.uk.
See the top quick-service restaurant groups for further listings >>
The top restaurant groups from the 2006 report can be viewed here >>
TOP 20 UK RESTAURANT GROUPS IN 2006-2007 (by number of outlets)
| Owner | 2007
outlets | 2006
outlets | Selected brands |
| 1 | Gondola | 525 | 505 | PizzaExpress, Ask, Zizzi |
| 2 | Mitchells & Butlers | 477 | 799 | Harvester, Browns,
Toby |
| 3 | Spirit Group | 402 | 510 | Chef & Brewer. Two for
One, Miller's |
| 4 | The Restaurant Group | 284 | 279 | Frankie & Benny's,
Garfunkels |
| 5 | Wimpy | 252 | 250 | Wimpy |
| 6 | Whitbread | 237 | 157 | Beefeater, Brewers Fayre |
| 7 | People's Restaurant
Group+ | 230 | 235 | Little Chef |
| 8 | Tragus | 228 | 162 | Café Rouge, Bella Italia, Strada, Belgo, Ma Potters |
| 9 | Greene King | 168 | 132 | Hungry Horse, Loch Fyne |
| 10 | Nando's | 142 | 133 | Nando's |
| 11 | Laurel | 89 | 56 | La Tasca |
| 12 | Out of Town
Restaurant Group | 87 | 87 | Madisons, Bitz and Pizza,
Bradwells |
| 13 | Prezzo | 87 | 78 | Prezzo, Ultimate
Burger |
| 14 | Paramount | 76 | 25 | Groupe Chez Gerard, Livebait, Cafe Fish, Bertorelli's, Caffè Uno |
| 15 | Clapham House | 70 | 57 | Tootsies, Bombay
Bicycle Club |
| 16 | Orchid Pubs | 66 | 76 | Jim Thompson's,
Country Carvery |
| 17 | Ponti's | 53 | 48 | Ponti's, Caffè Alba |
| 18 | Wagamama | 51 | 39 | Wagamama |
| 19 | Caprice Holdings | 45 | 45 | Scotts |
| 20 | Regent Inns | 31 | 31 | Old Orleans |
+ Little Chef is now owned by private equity group RCapital after falling into administrative receivership in January 2007
Source: Horizons