Loch Fyne plans are going swimmingly

Loch Fyne Restaurants, which opened its 11th seafood restaurant this week, more than doubled its turnover last year.

It began 2000 with three restaurants and ended the year with six.

Turnover increased to £3.5m, up from £1.5m in 1999.

Loch Fyne plans to have 18 restaurants by the end of this year. It expects an annual turnover of £10m, rising to more than £20m next year, when a further eight restaurants are planned. On Monday it opened a 100-seat restaurant in Loughton, Essex.

Managing director Mark Derry said he expected the chain to serve more than 400,000 meals this year. Staff numbers are expected to increase from 200 to 700.

Further openings this year are planned for Stamford in Lincolnshire; Brighton; Norwich; Fulham in London; Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire and Sevenoaks in Kent (pending a planning appeal).

A planned site in Hertford has been abandoned because of planning complications.

Next year, restaurants are planned for Chalk Farm in London, Knowle in the West Midlands, Bristol and Leeds.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 5-11 July 2001