JKS targets US market after latest funding round

The multi-brand restaurant group is ‘actively exploring’ opportunities in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas after tapping into an investor consortium comprising ‘high net worth individuals’ and family offices from the UK, US, Middle East and Asia.

Jyotin Sethi (pictured), who runs JKS with his brother Karam and sister Sunaina, led the fundraising process with support from Tamweel Capital.

According to the Financial Times​​​, the round raised in the region of £10m.

JKS, whose London-based portfolio includes singular high-end restaurants such as Gymkhana, Lyle’s and Kitchen Table, as well as expanding brands such as BAO and Hoppers, says the funds will be used to finance the expansion of JKS in the UK and internationally.

The group launched its first Middle East location last year​​ in the Qatari capital of Doha under its Hoppers brand.

It has followed that this year with an outpost of Gymkhana in Riyadh and, most recently, Berenjak in Dubai​​.

Speaking at the Restaurant Conference last year, prior to the opening of Hoppers Doha, Sethi discussed the prospect of international growth opportunities for the group.​​

“There are real growth opportunities in the Middle East, Asia, and the US,” he said at the time.

“There’s plenty of conversations going on at the moment and we’ve got to work out how we best want to do that. We are lucky that our brands have an international following.”

As well as expanding its restaurant arm, JKS is also working to develop its retail business.

It recently launched Gymkhana Fine Foods and completed a $3m seed funding round with CAVU Consumer Partners to fund growth of the brand both in the UK and internationally.