Wasabi to offer breakfast menu at first franchised restaurant

Sushi and bento chain Wasabi is set to launch its first franchised restaurant at London Luton Airport.

The new 30-seat restaurant will open in mid-July and offer Wasabi’s first breakfast menu, with dishes including a Korean BBQ bacon sando, a pumpkin katsu and mushroom sando, and a selection of hot drinks.

The site will be operated by travel retail business Lagardère Travel Retail, which also works with hospitality brands including Starbucks, Pret A Manger and McDonald’s.

Henry Birts, chief executive at Wasabi, said the opening represented a “new phase of growth through franchising” for the group.

“We see this as a significant step in our wider growth strategy, with plans to expand further across the UK," he added.

Earlier this year Wasabi, which runs around 40 UK sites, said it looking to work with franchise partners to expand across the UK after returning to profit. The group posted a pre-tax profit of £7.7m in 2023, up from a £10m loss in 2022, while turnover rose 16.7% to £120.7m.

Peter Newbould, chief executive of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland, said the business was “delighted” to expand its F&B portfolio with the opening of the restaurant.

The first franchised Wasabi will feature a grab-and-go counter alongside a dine-in area, with dishes including sushi, bento, hot meals, and snacks.

Wasabi was founded in London in 2003 by South Korean entrepreneur Dong Hyun Kim.

Private equity firm Capdesia took a minority stake in the business in 2019, and Kim stepped back from the company in 2021.

Capdesia and Elliott Advisors invested a further £10m into the business in 2023 to fuel further expansion.