First quarter figures from CGA showed that despite pub numbers continuing to decline, casual dining sites saw an uptick in numbers, with a net increase of 34 locations. It‘s modest but it shows investment and roll-outs are firmly on board agendas.

That optimism was reflected when Peach co-founder Peter Martin interviewed Robin Rowland on stage at the CEDA conference. The former YO! Sushi boss, who is now a partner at the TriSpan investment house, confirmed that the four UK restaurant brands he chairs - Mowgli, Rosa‘s Thai, Pho and Thunderbird - would between them see 20 new locations open this year.

He said there were four main business growth pillars he looked for to justify investment:

• Inflation 
• Interest rates 
• A stable engaged workforce 
• Consumer confidence

He said with the first two under control and the third in place: “We just need consumer confidence to sustainably grow, but we‘ll invest in the belief that it will.”

Rowland said TriSpan was attracted to companies with a scalable niche and a differentiated offer. Businesses needed to be past early-stage growth, around five to 15 sites, a £20-30 a head price point, with a strong management team - and with the potential for expansion.