On a given day at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, chef Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous pub and grill will make around $20,000 from fish and chips. The 1,200-square-foot space sees around 1,300 guests a day. Since debuting on the strip in 2012, Ramsay has added another location in Atlantic City. 



Combined, both have sold more than 300,000 fish and chips dishes. “It’s taken the nation by storm. I look at the lines outside the door,” Ramsay told Forbes on the phone earlier this week.



His steak restaurant, which launched seven years ago at Caesars’ Paris Las Vegas Hotel, has meanwhile expanded to Atlantic City and Baltimore, luring diners with beef Wellingtons (more than 250,000 sold since 2012) and sticky toffee puddings (more than 200,000 sold). 



That kind of demand needs to be taken advantage of quickly. Which is why a year ago, Ramsay started looking for a partner to help him rapidly expand these brands. “I wasn’t ready to pedal this bike up a hill on my own. That would take me another 15 years,” Ramsay says. “Let’s get this thing done.”



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And now Ramsay has inked a deal with Lion Capital, a private equity outfit with offices in London and Los Angeles, which has scaled restaurants like wagamama, the pan-Asian noodle chain, as well as brands like Kettle chips and Jimmy Cho. Lion now owns 50% of Gordon Ramsay North America, while the other 50% is controlled by Ramsay. 



He declined to comment on the size of the transaction, but the deal stipulates that Lion will invest $100 million over five years to build an empire of Gordon Ramsay restaurants across America. The joint venture expects to open 100 new locations across the U.S by 2024. 



“I fell in love with this country 20 years ago. There’s a will here. My goal, right now, is to establish one of the most exciting food brands in America,” Ramsay says. “Being a control freak, I needed the right partner on board. There’s a lot of businesses that don’t like that kind of stranglehold. For me, the partnership was crucial.”



Ramsay already has eight restaurants across Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Baltimore in partnership with Caesars Entertainment. There’s five concepts in Las Vegas, of which three are brands that will be expanded through the new deal — Gordon Ramsay Steak, Gordon Ramsay Pub &amp; Grill, Gordon Ramsay Fish &amp; Chips.



“Vegas has been the most amazing platform. Everyone thinks it is just full of partying and entertainment, but it’s one of the most severe and revered culinary capitals anywhere in the world. You don’t get a second shot at it,” Ramsay says.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d1389d8142c500008c7510e/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="The restaurant concept, Gordon Ramsay Steak, launched in 2012 inside Caesar Entertainment's Paris Las Vegas Hotel &amp; Casino on the Las Vegas Strip."/><figcaption>The restaurant concept, Gordon Ramsay Steak, launched in 2012 inside Caesar Entertainment’s Paris Las Vegas Hotel &amp; Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.GORDON RAMSAY STEAK</figcaption></figure>



The deal will also bring two more concepts to the U.S.: Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza and Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen, which he calls “a modern Cheesecake Factory.” It already has successful locations in&nbsp;London, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore.&nbsp;



Ramsay is a six-time Celebrity 100 listmaker who earned $62 million last year, mainly from his television deal with Fox, in which he produces and stars in shows MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef Jr. as well as 24 Hours to Hell and Back.



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“It may seem aggressive, but we’re not opening up 80 or 90 of the same restaurant. We’re crossing over with a multilayered brand. That’s the bit that I’ve worked hard at. We’ve divided and conquered.”



Ramsay’s 15 restaurants in London won’t be impacted by the Lion Capital investment. The announcement comes just a few weeks after British chef Jamie Oliver announced that all but three of his 25 restaurants in the U.K. will close.



“It’s a very oversaturated market there, and you need to be very careful with that level of expansion. It’s unfortunate to see the situation he got himself into, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a juggernaut that’s out of control, as opposed to being in control,” Ramsay says. “I’ve sat patiently, learning from other people’s mistakes.”=



-Chloe Sorvino; Forbes Staff

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Gordon Ramsay Plots 100 US Restaurants With New Private Equity Deal

If you are a foodie and live in South Africa, you know the name Tashas. Regardless of which Tashas you visit it’s always busy and people don’t mind waiting. I certainly don’t so long as there’s a glass of Turkish Delight or Goats Do Roam Red to keep me company.
After years of surprise birthday parties, dates, family get-togethers and business meetings at Tashas, an interview with the woman that started it all was long overdue.
Natasha Sideris is one busy woman and passionate about what she has built. Dedicated to maintaining standards, the interview was peppered with Sideris getting up to seat customers, hand them menus and tell the odd waiter to tuck in their shirt.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30130 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/086-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/086.jpg 682w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
Given her jovial mood it was hard to believe it when Sideris described the day before as one of the worst she’s ever had. Her advice is to wake up the next day and get back to work.
Sideris’ journey into the food business began more than two decades ago. She worked part-time at her dad’s Fishmonger restaurant, while studying psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand. You could say this is where it all began.
Sideris spent years working in the fast food industry, but it wasn’t for her. She worked at Nino’s, an Italian-style restaurant franchise, helping the company open 12 new restaurants. In 2001, the 24-year-old bought her own branch with help from the bank and her family.
In 2005, Sideris realized that all the market had to offer were themed restaurants and big chains; this is where she saw the gap.
“It was because of my experience at Nino’s that I realized there was such a gap in the South African market for this style of restaurant.”
There was a place for something niche and Sideris planned on being the first one to fill it.
The vision was clear, “authentic, old school, with good fresh food”. Sideris just needed the money to kick it off. Financing the first Tashas in Sandton in 2005 wasn’t easy. She found herself in front of a loan shark, leaving with less than she needed but more in debt than she was ready for. One can only guess what would have happened had the eatery not been a hit. Sideris didn’t draw a salary for almost two-and-a-half years.
Drawing on the success of the business, Sideris turned the Nino’s in Bedfordview, east of Johannesburg, into another Tashas. This meant another trip to a loan shark. Banks weren’t paying her much attention since all she had was an asset in debt.
“It was long, hard work but I knew I was on to something good and I persevered,” she says.
When Sideris went into business with Famous Brands, a food services company that stables some of South Africa’s best known fast food franchises, it seemed an unlikely relationship, but not to her.
“I was very, very cautious in the beginning when I did the deal with them [Famous Brands].”
What would happen to the niche, unique café style restaurants she had created if she got into bed with a mass producer, the fast food business she ran from? Looking at how it has all turned out, both parties have come out ahead.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30127 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-214x300.jpg 214w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-300x420.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-600x840.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13-732x1024.jpg 732w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-bread-13.jpg 731w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />
Famous Brands may own 51% of the business but Sideris still maintains creative control. She gained valuable skills and Famous Brands in return has a unique product for its stable.
Famous Brands, as of its last annual report, has 2,378 franchised restaurants. The report also states that the group’s ‘premium offering’, Tashas, delivered 20% like-on-like growth for the period.
The franchise fee for Tashas is broken up into three segments: an initial $18,600 (R223,000) payment, 6% of the monthly turnover and an advertising fee of 2%. The company puts set-up costs at around $500,000 (R6 million), with $12,500 (R150,000)–$16,700 (R200,000) working capital required.
The trick is to have owner-operated franchises. Each possible franchisee needs to have a minimum amount of experience in the restaurant business, go through pre-screening, interviews and three months of training.
The variants in deco and menu choices give each branch a sense of individuality, allowing the customers to have a different experience in each store. The distinct décor and signature menus are determined by the area and customer base, from the Dutch look and feel in Pretoria to the Parisian-style Le Parc in Hyde Park.
The plan is to have no more than 15 stores in South Africa – there are currently 12 – in order to maintain control and not saturate the market. Sideris is looking for slow and steady growth.
Right now the plans include a line of cookbooks, an online retail store with Tashas products and international expansion. Released in November, the first cookbook has made it to the top 10 list at Exclusive Books. The secret is out, but Sideris says it’s not about holding onto the recipes because Tashas is more than just the food.
Sideris had some help in the form of her brother Savva. Sideris calls him her rock, a doer and true restaurateur, a dying breed in South Africa according her.
“We are not chefs, we are restaurateurs.”
Savva has been there since 2007 and set up the new operation in Dubai.
It is the success of the Tashas brand that led to Dubai. It was an intense three-year process that led to the opening of the maiden international restaurant in Jumeirah’s The Galleria Mall. The franchise was drawn to the country by its similarity to the South African landscape back in 2005 – Sideris wanted to take advantage of another gap further from home. The best South African staff members have been taken to the Jumeirah store for a year, with the option of staying longer.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30128 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-214x300.jpg 214w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-300x420.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-600x840.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2-732x1024.jpg 732w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hyde-cakes-2.jpg 731w" sizes="(max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />
Keeping with the strategy of slow and steady growth, Saderis wants to open three or four restaurants in Dubai and explore places like Doha, Kuwait and Oman.
“We’re not going anywhere until we’ve got it absolutely right in South Africa and Dubai.”
Sideris was surprised by how well things took off in Dubai, admitting that although she was nervous she had no expectations.
Jeremy Sampson, the founder of brand consultancy firm Interbrand Sampson de Villiers, calls Tashas a fantastic success story. He says people tend to forget that a brand is about experience and that the challenge lies with making sure all the touch points are aligned.
How well will Tashas do beyond South Africa’s shores? Sampson says one of its strengths is its ability to tweak its offering and cater to the local culture; this he adds is not unlike the strategy global fast food giant McDonalds uses.
According to Sideris, “Hard work equals good luck”. You can argue she’s got plenty of both.

IMG_1583

A Recipe For Success

Sicilian-born Silvio Zaccareo says most Italian recipes only have four or five ingredients.
“The French are probably our prime rivals when it comes to food. But where they use more exotic ingredients in their dishes, we like to keep it simple.”
Silvio, 36, is a civil engineer by trade but a chef by choice. In between risotto and pasta preparations at the Villa Rosa Kempinski’s Lucca Café and Deli Ristorante, he shares an interesting career story spanning 16 years of cooking and in the process reveals some secrets behind the art of Italian cuisine.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-31228 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/3-Arunga-300x209.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="209" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/3-Arunga-300x209.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/3-Arunga-600x419.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/3-Arunga-768x536.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/3-Arunga.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
“We take a lot of pride in preparing and enjoying food. It is not just to fill the stomach. It is a way of life.”
Another tip is using ingredients in season. Even though technology makes it easy to find products all year round, it is important to use seasonal vegetables. Silvio explains there is a distinct difference between a tomato harvested from a greenhouse in February and one ripened under the European sun in August.
After a two-year stint at a fine dining fish restaurant, this self-taught chef moved on to a trattoria where he picked up quite a few secret family recipes.
“Italian recipes are selflessly guarded. Most often it’s about the number of ingredients—the original ragù for example only contains beef, bacon, celery, carrots, onions and tomato sauce—and the rest is left to the cooking process.”
At Lucca you will find Silvio easily interacting with patrons and getting their feedback. To him it is important to integrate the local palette to that of authentic Italian dishes.
“With our cooking at Lucca we are trying to get as close as possible to the original Italian kitchen. We don’t want to be just another Italian restaurant abroad,” he says as he rushes off to prepare another order.

1-Arunga

Trumpeting Africa from Dublin to MILAN

Sicilian-born Silvio Zaccareo says most Italian recipes only have four or five ingredients.
“The French are probably our prime rivals when it comes to food. But where they use more exotic ingredients in their dishes, we like to keep it simple.”
Silvio, 36, is a civil engineer by trade but a chef by choice. In between risotto and pasta preparations at the Villa Rosa Kempinski’s Lucca Café and Deli Ristorante, he shares an interesting career story spanning 16 years of cooking and in the process reveals some secrets behind the art of Italian cuisine.
“We take a lot of pride in preparing and enjoying food. It is not just to fill the stomach. It is a way of life.”
Another tip is using ingredients in season. Even though technology makes it easy to find products all year round, it is important to use seasonal vegetables. Silvio explains there is a distinct difference between a tomato harvested from a greenhouse in February and one ripened under the European sun in August.
After a two-year stint at a fine dining fish restaurant, this self-taught chef moved on to a trattoria where he picked up quite a few secret family recipes.
“Italian recipes are selflessly guarded. Most often it’s about the number of ingredients—the original ragù for example only contains beef, bacon, celery, carrots, onions and tomato sauce—and the rest is left to the cooking process.”
At Lucca you will find Silvio easily interacting with patrons and getting their feedback. To him it is important to integrate the local palette to that of authentic Italian dishes.
“With our cooking at Lucca we are trying to get as close as possible to the original Italian kitchen. We don’t want to be just another Italian restaurant abroad,” he says as he rushes off to prepare another order.

Tag: Resturant

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Gordon Ramsay Plots 100 US Restaurants With New Private Equity Deal

A Recipe For Success

Trumpeting Africa from Dublin to MILAN

Seasonal and Simple