Six by Nico to launch community crowdfund campaign

Restaurant group Six by Nico is set to launch a “community-first crowdfund campaign” that will invite customers to invest in the business and have a say in its future.

The group, known for its rotating six-course tasting menus, said the crowdfunded membership scheme will launch August in a bid to build “the largest and most active culinary community in the UK”.

It said customers signing up would be rewarded for their support and given the chance to “help shape the future of the brand”.

Six by Nico has not confirmed how much it is looking to raise or if there would be any minimum pledge to take part.

However, it said customers would be able to explore the group’s business ideas and find out how to become shareholders by registering their interest on its website.

Six by Nico was founded in Glasgow by chef Nico Simeone in 2017 and has grown to 18 restaurants across the UK and Ireland.

The latest filings for parent company Sixco said the group serves around 15,000 covers a week in the UK and Ireland and has a customer database of over one million names.

Simeone said: “Six by Nico was built by the people who kept coming back not once, not twice, but again and again. We’re talking about a core community of tens of thousands of loyal guests who dine regularly every year. This isn’t just a customer base – it’s a community. And now, it’s time to bring them even closer. Because the next chapter isn’t just ours – it’s theirs too.”

Each of the group’s venues serves a themed six-course tasting menu that changes to a new concept every six weeks.

The current theme is the Alice in Wonderland-inspired Mad Hatter’s Experience, which offers dishes including a Roast Chicken Dinner Doughnut. Prices start from £25 a head for a four-course lunch outside of London, rising to £55 a head for a six-course menu in the capital.

The group also runs sister bar concept Somewhere by Nico in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Sixco saw revenue from continuing activities rise 42% to £41.9m in the year ending 30 June 2024. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased 73% to £5.8m.

The group previously said it was looking at expansion overseas off the back of strong sales.

Simeone added: “This is a new chapter. A new way to raise capital – with our community at the centre. We’re inviting the people who helped build this to invest in what comes next. Not just a seat at the table – but a voice in the vision and a share in what we are building.”