Big Table Group, the operator behind Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, and Café Rouge, has reported improved trading results for the 12 months ending 27 October 2024.
The company cut its pre-tax losses from £13.8 million in the 2023 financial year to £4.4 million in 2024.
Adjusted trading EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) rose by 77%, reaching £3.9 million—up from £2.2 million the previous year.
Full-year sales rose by 3%, from £31.6 million to £32.6 million, while gross profit margin improved by over five percentage points—from 44.3% in 2023 to 49.4% in 2024.
In the company’s latest financial statement, chief financial officer Adrian Walker highlighted an improvement in sales-to-profit conversion.
“Within a competitive and tough market, we strategically focused on profitable sales, ensuring that value opportunities to the guest remained profitable for the company,” he stated.
“While trading conditions remained challenging with a range of headwinds, we are very pleased with the improvement in EBITDA and are confident that that our sales to EBITDA conversion will provide further improvement in the year ahead.”
The improved performance follows Big Table Group’s acquisition of The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) leisure division, marking a positive shift in the subsequent trading period.
On 30 October 2023, The Restaurant Group (TRG) agreed to pay Big Table Group £7.5 million as part of a deal to offload its Chiquito’s and Frankie & Benny’s restaurants. In return, Big Table Group acquired the 75 loss-making sites for a nominal sum of £1.
At the time, Big Table Group appointed Debbie Husband as managing director of the leisure division. After 18 months in the role, she has now announced her departure on LinkedIn.
“After 18 amazing months with Alan Morgan at the Big Table Group I am sad but excited to be looking forward to the next chapter in my career,” she wrote.
“I am extremely proud of everything we have achieved as a team. Within months we were delivering month-on-month profit against the backdrop of a loss-making business.”
She has yet to disclose her next career move.
