According to its latest full-year results, Azzurri’s hospitality investment platform reported that London’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken achieved the highest opening sales of any site in the company’s history.
The cult fried chicken brand made its UK debut last December on Shaftesbury Avenue and has since expanded with four additional sites in Birmingham New Street, Manchester Printworks, Westfield White City, and Stevenage — all performing ahead of expectations.
The pipeline includes nine more sites set to open by the end of 2026, with locations planned in Cardiff and Dublin.
Azzurri Group has also entered into an agreement to launch at least 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across Europe over the same period.
The group, which also operates Ask Italian, Zizzi, Coco di Mama, and Boojum, reported revenues of £303.1m for the year ending 30 June 2025. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) saw a slight decline to £30.2m (2024: £32.1m), reflecting a £1.4m growth investment in Dave’s Hot Chicken and Boojum.
Net cash inflow from operating activities increased to £27.6m, up from £21.1m, although the group incurred an additional £7m in costs related to the National Living Wage and National Insurance.
Azzurri’s Coco di Mama brand notably expanded its presence across delivery kitchens and supermarkets, reaching 1,300 points of sale in 2025, with a further 1,000 expected to be added in 2026.
Across the group, 16 sites were refurbished and six new locations were opened during the period.
The group also secured new refinancing facilities in September, set to mature in March 2030.
Chief executive at Azzurri Group, Steve Holmes, said: “Last year, we consolidated our strategy to deliver outstanding food, service and value through a balanced portfolio of high-performing brands, supported by a platform that drives operational excellence and innovation. Doing so enabled us to successfully navigate the challenging UK hospitality backdrop and deliver a robust financial performance.
“Looking to the year ahead, we have exciting plans for all of the different growth levers we benefit from. Our established brands, Ask and Zizzi, will continue to innovate and strengthen their leading positions. We will advance our plans to replicate Boojum’s huge Irish success in Great Britain. Coco di Mama will build on its significant opportunities in supermarkets and in delivery kitchens. Most excitingly of all, we have an ambitious pipeline of sites across the UK for Dave’s Hot Chicken and will also start our expansion plans in continental Europe.”
