Santander funding enables fast-food franchiser to take a bigger slice of the pizza market
FAST-FOOD franchise operator Ocean Success, which owns restaurants in Birmingham, the East Midlands and Manchester, is expanding its portfolio following a £1.2m investment.
The Northampton-based firm, which owns 12 Pizza Hut franchises, has been backed in its investment by Santander Corporate & Commercial.
Owned and operated by Nadim Choudary, who opened his first franchise pizza outlet at the age of 18, the company provides employment to 400 agency staff across its stores in Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham. The company is one of the largest franchisees in the UK for Pizza Hut and one of the top 10 largest pizza delivery outlets.
The funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial will allow the company to operate more efficiently and also help the business acquire three further sites.
These are set to create an additional 75 agency jobs across the various areas.
Future expansion plans include the opening of nine further restaurants across the Midlands and North West during the first quarter of 2015.
In 2011, Choudary was recognised by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, winning awards for the ‘Institute of Asian Businesses Business Person of the Year’ and ‘Business of the Year’ – the first time the two prizes have been won by one person.
He said: “Pizza Hut is a fantastic franchise and one that continues to gain in popularity amongst diners. Our immediate expansion plans will see our restaurants rise to 15, and I’m hopeful of even more in the future. We are delighted with the knowledge, support and advice received from Santander in helping us fuel our ambitions.”
Sukh Nat, Relationship Director, Santander Corporate & Commercial, said: “Nadim has a huge amount of experience in the restaurant business having started in the industry at the age of 18. This experience, coupled with a thorough understanding of the franchise business model, provides an excellent platform for future growth. Santander is committed to supporting the franchise sector and we are delighted to be able to support Nadim in his expansion.”
