Did top British restaurant The Wolseley’s Asia expansion fight with Thai hospitality group bring its operator to its knees?
- Corbin & King, operator of London eateries including The Wolseley, has been put into administration by its main shareholder, Thai hospitality group Minor Hotels
- Jeremy King said last week that Minor Hotels’ ‘scattergun’ approach to expanding the Wolseley brand in Asia was ‘completely inappropriate’
When Thai company Minor Hotels bought a majority stake in London restaurateur Corbin & King it seemed like a match made in hospitality heaven.
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King had successfully opened a clutch of all-day dining cafes and brasseries across the British capital. Each had its own name and concept, the most famous being The Wolseley, just along from The Ritz on a site formerly occupied by a building called China House.
The restaurant attracted a stellar crowd and a table within the central “horseshoe” area remains one of the most prized in London.
Minor’s CEO Dillip Rajakarier said in a statement about the union in 2017: “Our strategic joint venture will build upon Minor Hotels’ history of operating signature restaurants within our hotels and in third-party locations. We look forward to working with Jeremy and Chris to expand the Corbin & King portfolio in the UK and key international markets.”
King said in the same statement: “We took our time to find the right partner to take Corbin & King forward and I couldn’t be happier that we found Minor. I look forward eagerly to the opportunities this presents.”