While further details on the new concept are yet to be revealed, CEO Sam Hart says the plan comes as the group continues to look for expansion possibilities across the UK.
Harts Group saw turnover rise 7.92% in the year to 31 July 2025, growing from £36.6m to £39.5m. EBITDA across the group, whose portfolio encompasses its flagship Barrafina brand as well as smaller and individual formats including Parrillan, El Pastor, Quo Vadis, Bar Daskal, The Drop and Two Drops, rose from £2.3m to £2.9m.
Hart says that the group’s bottom line continued to be impacted by rising cost pressures.
Harts Group is continuing to explore regional opportunities, including potentially opening an El Pastor site in Manchester, but Hart says it will wait until it has a clearer view about the new Government’s financial plans.
“As much as we really are trying to grow, there’s a lot of regulatory challenges and until we have a change in government policy the environment is going to remain tough,” he says.
“It does feel like the new prime minister appreciates and gets hospitality and its benefit to the community, which multiple previous administrations didn’t.
“They’re making positive noises, but in order for us to unleash investment, recruit more young people and get properly back in the saddle we need government support to make our business as profitable as it should be.”
‘Inconsistent’ trading
Speaking to Restaurant’s sister title MCA back in October, Hart described FY26 trading as ‘inconsistent’ with unexpectedly weak sales over August and the first half of September, followed by strong growth at the tail end of the month and into October.
This appears to have been borne out in the group’s results for the year ended 31 July 2026, with Hart saying turnover fell to £39m over the period with EBITDA down to £1.9m.
Rising employment costs have now caused the group to scale back its workforce by around 20%, equating to 100 roles across the group, Hart says.
“It’s only because of that that we’re not losing quite considerable amounts of money.”
At the same time, though, customer satisfaction has risen by every metric used by the group. “It’s something we take incredibly seriously and we’re very proud we’ve managed to improve customer sentiment while sadly having to make these changes to our headcount.”
In early 2026 the group made its international debut with the opening of Barrafina in Dubai under a partnership with Anthem Hospitality Group. While the restaurant initially bedded in well, the impact of hostilities in the region between Iran and the US did have a ‘catastrophic impact’, according to Hart.
Since then, sales have picked up and the restaurant is now hitting budget.
“The audience in Dubai get Barrafina,” he says, noting that the restaurant was named Newcomer of the Year at the What’s On Dubai Awards 2026. “It feels like the critics and the public appreciate what we’re doing.”
Despite the ongoing instability, Harts Group remains confident about its Middle East prospects with a second site in the region, at Fahid Island in Abu Dhabi, set to launch towards the end of 2026.
“The UAE is extremely resilient. They have proper long-term plans, and the government is absolutely determined to protect its citizens and re-encourage tourism.”