mynth
← DATABASE
07/2015

CÔTE RESTAURANTS

Acquired by

BC PARTNERS

UNITED KINGDOM Hospitality & Leisure / Hospitality / Restaurants / Chains EV 300M - 700M GBP

Context

BC Partners has acquired a majority stake in Côte Restaurants from its previous owners in a transaction that transitions the company into its next phase of national expansion. The deal involves the existing senior management team, led by Alex Scrimgeour, Harald Samuelsson, and Paul Aitchison, retaining a significant minority shareholding to ensure leadership continuity. The strategic rationale for the acquisition centers on backing a highly successful, proven restaurant format to continue its aggressive roll-out across the UK (67 restaurants at the date of the operation). Furthermore, BC Partners intends to utilize Côte as a foundational platform for potential consolidation in the restaurant industry, including the acquisition or development of adjacent dining concepts. This deal highlights the strong institutional appetite for "value-driven" premium casual dining brands that demonstrate resilient unit economics and high scalability. Following the acquisition, Côte will benefit from BC Partners' deep capital reserves and expertise in scaling European consumer businesses, aiming to elevate the brand from a 67-site chain to a dominant national hospitality group.

CÔTE RESTAURANTS, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2015, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the Retail & Consumer sector (11.4x).

Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.

-> Deep-dive in Retail & Consumer market trends

Target

Côte Restaurants is a high-growth UK-based dining chain inspired by the modern bistros of Paris. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, the company specializes in offering a "value-for-money" French dining experience, characterized by simple, freshly prepared classic dishes such as steak frites, moules marinières, and corn-fed chicken. The business model centers on an "all-day" service offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a modern, informal, and friendly bistro setting. Since its launch, the firm has scaled rapidly to have numerous locations through a disciplined roll-out strategy focused on high-quality seasonal ingredients and consistent service standards. Côte's value proposition is built on providing an upscale dining atmosphere at attractive price points, appealing to a broad demographic of casual diners and families. Its technical operational strength lies in a centralized management team capable of maintaining culinary consistency across a growing national footprint. As a leading player in the UK's "bistro-style" casual dining segment, the company serves as a scalable platform for further geographic expansion and potential multi-concept development within the hospitality sector.

Ent. Value

LOGIN

Equity Value

LOGIN

Multiples

EV / Revenue

LOGIN

EV / EBITDA

LOGIN

EV / EBIT

LOGIN

Historical Financials (GBP)

Year
Rev
EBITDA
EBIT
2015
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN
2014
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN

Other operations with CÔTE RESTAURANTS

DateAcquirerTargetCountrySectorDeal Context
CÔTE RESTAURANTSUNITED KINGDOMHospitality & Leisure

Côte Restaurants is a high-growth UK-based dining chain inspired by the modern bistros of Paris. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, the company specializes in offering a "value-for-money" French dining experience, characterized by simple, freshly prepared classic dishes such as steak frites, moules marinières, and corn-fed chicken. The business model centers on an "all-day" service offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a modern, informal, and friendly bistro setting. Since its launch, the firm has scaled rapidly to have numerous locations through a disciplined roll-out strategy focused on high-quality seasonal ingredients and consistent service standards. Côte's value proposition is built on providing an upscale dining atmosphere at attractive price points, appealing to a broad demographic of casual diners and families. Its technical operational strength lies in a centralized management team capable of maintaining culinary consistency across a growing national footprint. As a leading player in the UK's "bistro-style" casual dining segment, the company serves as a scalable platform for further geographic expansion and potential multi-concept development within the hospitality sector.

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 300M - 700M GBP

Revenue range: 100M - 200M GBP

EBITDA range: 10M - 30M GBP

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of CÔTE RESTAURANTS by BC PARTNERS are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).

Press release: view release

Target: côte restaurants

Acquirer: bc partners