KIBOU Japanese Kitchen & Bar is expanding its UK footprint thanks to a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK.
The funding will enable KIBOU to open a new site on Temple Row in Birmingham’s Colmore Business District this autumn. The company’s first restaurant in the city will open its doors on October 12, seating up to 200 covers and creating more than 50 new roles across front-of-house and kitchen teams.
The expansion, which takes the company’s footprint to seven sites, follows KIBOU’s strongest trading year on record, with double-digit year-on-year growth in both revenue and covers. Further growth is already planned for early 2027, with the HSBC UK facility also enabling the opening of a site in Covent Garden.
As part of the wider deal, KIBOU has also refinanced existing debt held with other lenders, consolidating its banking arrangements with HSBC UK as its sole banking partner going forward. The financing was originated by Cattaneo Corporate Finance, which introduced KIBOU to HSBC UK.
Sam Horswill, managing director at KIBOU Restaurants, said: "After a record 12 months of trading, this investment gives us the platform to expand and back two exceptional new sites at once. It also helps us invest in the people who make KIBOU what it is.
"Growing our covers by over 60 per cent and creating more than 120 new jobs across the two sites are testament to the strength of our team and the trust HSBC UK has shown in where we're heading. We value their partnership, and the introduction made by Cattaneo.”
Parinda Nanayakkara, relationship manager at HSBC UK, said: “KIBOU Restaurants has delivered a strong trading performance and has clear ambitions for growth. This provides the business with the funding to invest in identified sites, while putting the right financial structure in place to support those ambitions.”
Picture credit: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
