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Chef Gordon Ramsay at his new London House restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2015. Photo: SCMP

Trouble simmering? Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group hit by US$5m loss, plans to shut flagship London eatery

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group has swung to a multimillion dollar loss as it plans to shut one of its flagship venues, Maze in London’s Mayfair, and open five new restaurants overseas.

Kavalake, the holding company for the group – which includes some of London’s most famous restaurants such as Petrus, Savoy Grill, Maze and Bread Street Kitchen – reported a pre-tax loss of £3.8 million (US$5.2 million) in the year to the end of August 2017.

The business was hit by a £1.75 million legal bill for costs in a long-running legal dispute with Rowan Seibel, Ramsay’s former business partner in the Fat Cow, the Los Angeles restaurant that was shut in 2014.
Gordon Ramsay attends the 2017 Fox Fall Party at Catch LA last September in West Hollywood. Photo: AP

The group, which has only made a profit in one year since 2012, reported a small dip of 1 per cent in revenues to £51.4 million.

Revenues were hit by the overhaul and five-month closure of Plane Food, Ramsay’s venture at Heathrow’s terminal 5, which contributed to revenue from its UK restaurant operation falling from £48.3 million to £45.9 million.

Revenue from the group’s international operations, which has licence agreements for 18 restaurants around the world, rose 52 per cent year on year to £5.4m. Outlets include Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Central in Hong Kong, and London House in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The company said it continues to be on the expansion trail, with five new venues this year, including a Bread Street Kitchen in Sanya, China, and four other restaurants in North America, including a new concept in Las Vegas called Hell’s Kitchen, which opened in January.

“A number of new international contracts are being actively negotiated, however, contracts have yet to be signed,” the group said. “The global spread of our restaurants means the business is not reliant upon one location and is therefore well placed to adapt and adjust to softer trading conditions.”

The group, which holds an interest in 14 London-based restaurants, is to shut one of its most high-profile outlets, Maze, which is in the London Marriott hotel in Grosvenor Square, next January after 14 years.

It will be replaced with a concept restaurant launching next year under a new 10-year lease.

“The variety and choice of location throughout London helps to minimise any risk of dependency on one brand or economic area,” the group said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Ramsay restaurant group feels bite with £3.8m loss
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