wagamama, the The Restaurant Group (TRG) owned casual dining brand, has announced a major expansion of its multi-million-pound joint venture with Charcoal Concepts, the multi-brand restaurant platform owned by K Hospitality Corp, in a move designed to accelerate the brand’s growth across India.
The announcement coincides with the opening of wagamama’s newest restaurant in Mumbai, its fourth in the country. Under the expanded partnership, the companies aim to open at least 100 wagamama restaurants across India over the next 10 years, signalling a significant bet on the country’s fast-evolving casual dining market.
Andy Hornby, TRG CEO, said the deal was the result of sustained collaboration between the UK operator and its Indian partners.
“We’re delighted to officially announce the joint venture with our partners K Hospitality, after months of hard work and collaboration between our two companies,” he said.
“India is an important target market for us as we grow internationally and gives us more opportunity to introduce more guests to our world-famous flavours, vibrant atmosphere and distinctive dining experience that makes us so special.”
Francisco Neves, SVP, Franchise & Partnerships at wagamama, described the expanded joint venture as a “milestone” for the brand in its international growth strategy.
“This is a really important milestone for us, and we’re delighted to be further cementing our partnership with Charcoal Concepts,” he said.
“Our first restaurants have exceeded our performance expectations, and I’m really excited to see more wagamama open up across the country.”
TRG currently operates hundreds of restaurants and pub restaurants across the United Kingdom. Its principal trading brands are wagamama, Barburrito and pub-chain Brunning & Price, with wagamama remaining its flagship pan-Asian casual dining concept.
Charcoal Concepts, owned by K Hospitality Corp, is a dedicated multi-brand restaurant platform focused on building and scaling leading food and beverage brands across India. Its portfolio includes iconic Indian brands such as Copper Chimney and Bombay Brasserie, alongside global concepts including wagamama.
The expanded joint venture follows the first wagamama restaurant opening in Churchgate, Mumbai, one year ago, which has proved to be a strong performer with diners, exceeding pre-opening expectations and helping to validate the brand’s potential in the Indian market.
Reflecting on wagamama’s debut year in India, Karan Kapur, Executive Director at K Hospitality, said the response had surpassed internal forecasts and highlighted the appeal of well-executed global concepts with local resonance.
“The response to wagamama since its India debut has far exceeded all our expectations, reaffirming the growing appetite for great global concepts with strong local relevance,” he said.
“We are excited to partner with The Restaurant Group to expand wagamama’s presence and build the brand into a market leader in Asian cuisine in the country.”
For Charcoal Concepts, the joint venture represents a long-term growth platform centred on pan-Asian dining. Rohan Sable, CEO of Charcoal Concepts, said the partnership aims to blend wagamama’s international brand strength with deep domestic market knowledge.
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“This joint venture marks the beginning of a long-term growth journey for wagamama in India. We see an incredible opportunity to build one of the country’s most loved and admired casual dining brands by combining wagamama’s globally recognised proposition with Charcoal Concepts’ deep understanding of the Indian consumer and our expertise in scaling restaurant brands,” he said.
“Together with The Restaurant Group, we’re confident of building a business that sets a new benchmark for pan-Asian dining in India.”
With four sites already trading and a pipeline targeting at least 100 locations over the next decade, the partners are positioning wagamama to become a major player in India’s growing casual dining and pan-Asian segments, leveraging both local operational expertise and a globally recognised brand.
