Thai restaurant chain gets PE backing

Monday, 30th June 2008 by Real Deals & Real Business

The Thai restaurant chain launched by Wagamama founder Alan Yau has attracted backing from private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners in a deal that values the London-based business at £21.5m.

Busaba has three restaurants in London and is planning to open 20 to 30 outlets across the UK in the next five years.

Yau is the brains behind the wildly successful noodle bar chain Wagamama.

Real Business describes him as a “quietly spoken, cautious, detail-obsessed restaurateur of some genius”.

He says to be an entrepreneur “you must believe passionately” in whatever you do. “If you believe in your idea, the risk you're taking just becomes automatic," Yau adds.

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