Wagamama Restaurant Chain Plans Large UK Expansion

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Cushman & Wakefield has now been retained by Wagamama, now owned by Duke Street Capital, for an aggressive UK expansion to 300 restaurants.

Wagamama has rapidly grown since it opened its first restaurant in 1992 and currently has 71 stores in the UK. The target of 300 restaurants will be achieved by opening 20 restaurants per year, led by Chris Warren, head of the Cushman & Wakefield leisure and restaurants team, and assisted by Thomas Rose.

While its focus will be London and the South East, the requirement is nationwide. The latest Wagamama opening is in the town centre of Horsham with 20 more openings planned before April 2012.

Chris Warren, Cushman & Wakefield, said, "We are delighted to have been exclusively retained by Wagamama, having already helped it to acquire sites before its purchase by Duke Street Capital.  Wagamama has been remarkably successful when rolled out into different types of sites in a variety of regions. The fast casual sector has seen genuine growth in the last 18 months and we are excited to help Wagamama to grow in the coming years."

Sharon Cawthorne, property director of Wagamama, said, "Having been acquired by Duke Street Capital we are now able to put in place a far more aggressive expansion plan. We are delighted to have brought Cushman & Wakefield on board to help us to secure the best locations for our new openings."

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