Big profit increase for Ask Central

Diners spent more than £60m on food and drink last year at Ask Central's pizza and pasta restaurants.

The company saw its pre-tax profits increase by 51% to £10.4m, compared to £6.9m in 1999. Sales for the year stood at £61.1m. This represented a 48% increase on 1999's turnover of £41.2m. Last year Ask opened 25 restaurants, eight of which were Zizzi restaurants.

Authentic wood-fired pizza ovens are used at Zizzi.

At the end of the year the company had 104 restaurants. Of these 44 were inside the M25 area and 60 were outside.

It has restaurants in areas such as Marlow in Buckinghamshire, Sevenoaks in Kent, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Exeter and Cardiff.

Chairman George Cracknell said: "This year has started with improved trading compared with the same period in 2000. There are, of course, an appreciable number of restaurants which either did not trade for the whole of 2000 or which were not opened until 2001."

Ask has 107 restaurants, with a further five under construction. Two of the three restaurants opened so far this year are in the Zizzi style.

The group anticipates further growth this year.