Fresh start for Gourmet Pizza

GOURMET Pizza Company, the London-based restaurant group set up by Peter Gross and Bryn Jones in 1989, is trading under new ownership following the appointment last month of receivers.

Earlier this week a new company, Bookcash Trading Limited, set up by former Gourmet Pizza director Tony Hawksley, formally bought the business from the receiver and the six outlets are continuing to trade normally.

Mr Hawksley, who was a founding director of Pizza Piazza, has operated a Gourmet Pizza outlet near Dorking, Surrey, since 1992 under a franchise agreement, becoming a non-executive director of the company that same year.

In the year to 31 March 1992, Gourmet Pizza Company reported pre-tax losses of £241,000 on a turnover of £1.31m. The previous year the company had made a loss of £95,000 on turnover of £948,000.

Last year turnover improved to about £2m, but according to Mr Hawksley the company was badly affected by a combination of unsustainable leases and its disastrous attempt to establish an outlet in Bristol in 1991 (Caterer, 29 July 1993).

In the short term Mr Hawksley and his partner in the venture, chartered accountant David Steeds, will concentrate on consolidation, but eventually he hopes to expand by acquisition and franchising.

He said Mr Gross and Mr Jones were still involved with the business, but emphasised that neither was a director or held any shares in the venture.