La Tasca bosses look at expansion for Ego chain with LDC

THE team that built up and ran the La Tasca chain are looking to roll out their latest restaurant concept across the UK with a target of 30 outlets within three years with the backing of private equity firm LDC.

The Ego Mediterranean restaurant chain now has 10 outlets with the opening of its Leeds restaurant this week and will follow that up with another in Manchester in November.

Bolton-based Ego is run by executive chairman James Horler and three colleagues who worked with him to grow the tapas chain La Tasca to 74 restaurants before it was sold for £136m to tycoon Robert Tchenguiz in 2007.

Yorkshire-based businessman John Barnes, the former boss of Harry Ramsdens, who was chairman of La Tasca, is a non-executive director of Ego.

The group opened restaurants in Sheffield and Lytham last month and now plans to step up the roll out with the backing of LDC and Mr Horler wants to open 30 restaurants in the next three years.

The site in Leeds cornered on the corner of King Street and St.Pauls Street seats 180 people and is on the site of the former Croma pizza restaurant. Ego offers Mediterranean cuisine with dishes from southern France, Spain, Italy and Morrocco.

LDC backed backed the acquisition of the then five-strong Ego chain last year, providing up to £9.1m for the acquisition and expansion in return for a 58% stake.

Mr Horler and his fellow directors, Matt Powell, Adrian Abbey and Jonathan Havenhand hold a 42% stake in the business.

Before La Tasca, Mr Horler ran the Frankie & Benny’s chain.

He said: “Ego offers fresh, modern classic Mediterranean food – everyone else is nation-specific.We are coming out of the brand building phase and this is now about our expansion. We are now working on a plan to open 30 restaurants in the next three years.

“We are looking at cities, suburbs, market towns and commuter towns across the North and Midlands.”

Alex Bowden, investment director of LDC, said: “The beauty of this for me is that you can eat here everyday and have a different type of food.”