When it comes to comparisons between running a business in the retail and the hospitality sectors, Andrew Garton can point to one key similarity. “There’s not much profit in either,” the Individual Restaurants CEO says with a wry chuckle. “That’s probably the biggest correlation.”
Certainly, Garton can now be considered an authority on both sides of the spectrum. Having previously worked more than 15 years in the grocery market, including as trading director for Morrisons and head of buying for Iceland, he joined Individual Restaurants, the Italian casual dining and grill group whose portfolio includes the Piccolino and Riva Blu brands, in early 2023.
Leaving aside the challenges and learnings that come from moving into a new industry, it was by no means a straightforward undertaking. When Garton joined the group it’s fair to say it wasn’t in the rudest of health having undergone a restructuring via company voluntary arrangement (CVA) in September 2020. Financials for the year prior to his appointment showed sales down 2.24% and EBITDA at -£8.6m.
The group was acquired by the directors of Iceland supermarket, in a rescue deal worth more than £40m. The then 28 restaurants were acquired by Ice Acquisitions, controlled by Iceland founder Sir Malcolm Walker and group MD Tarsem Dhaliwal – though Sir Malcolm already backed the collection since 2011.
Fast forward three and a half years, and the landscape for Individual Restaurants looks brighter. Sales are up, rising 2.4% on a life-for-like basis in its FY25 results, while EBITDA is back in the black at £1.7m. And according to Garton, the group’s next set of results will show a further ‘significant improvement’.
2026 a ‘defining year’
Garton credits a financially diligent approach that targeted investment into the estate and operational controls as helping to improve the group’s fortunes in the intervening years. “It needed to regain its sense of purpose and energy,” he says. “The first year I joined we spent six million just on getting the estate fit, and now we’re at the point where it’s in very, very good condition. We’ve then nurtured and made the business better: improving the food and the training.
“Today we have a sound infrastructure, and a proper plan in place about what to do next.”
Back in January, Individual Restaurants said it was positioning 2026 as being a ‘defining year’ with a series of changes made to the senior leadership team to support future growth and create a clearer structure and ownership of each brand. It included the promotion of Toni Dennan to group marketing and sales director, the addition of group F&B director Lee Ball, and the appointment of Francesco Fiore as managing director for the largest brand in the portfolio, Piccolino.
The 21-strong Italian casual dining concept, a central part of the group’s long-term strategy, is also undergoing an evolution of its own that establishes it more concretely in the premium market. In May, Piccolino’s Chester restaurant relaunched following a refurbishment of the space. Coinciding with the brand’s 25th birthday, the refined look and feel features warm, neutral colouring, natural woods, terracotta tones and woven textures. A new handwritten logo that nods to Italian craft and artistry has been introduced, alongside renewed furnishings, bespoke booth seating and reworked flooring intended to give the space depth and encourage longer dwell times.
Garton describes the new Chester interior as embodying a ‘softer Mediterranean vibe’. “It’s much more modern; more timeless,” he says. “I could see this business in 2023 slipping into the abyss of casual dining. My vision was to go the other way, to not sit in a world of mediocrity but define ourselves by what premium casual dining really looks like: good quality ingredients, restaurants that diners enjoy being in, and offering a great experience.”
The impact of the refurbishment, he continues, is already being felt with sales at the Chester restaurant up more than 25% on a like-for-like basis. Further sites, including outposts in Manchester, Nottingham, and Heddon Street in London, are set to undergo their own refurbishments in the coming months that will carry over design elements and touchpoints from Chester.
Additionally, the appointment of Ball, who previously held senior roles including executive chef at Soho Farmhouse and culinary director at HIX Restaurant Group, to the senior team has driven the development of a new food offer that’s intended to be more contemporary, and ingredient led, with a greater emphasis on sharing dishes and seasonality. “It’s about doing what we do really well, while also keeping it modern,” Garton explains.
“Italian food is super simple, and we want to tap more into that; using premium ingredients and finessing them. Classic dishes like the carbonara, the bruschetta classica, and the lasagne will always be there, but there’ll also be new options that will change as we go through the year. In the summer there’ll be more fish, while in the winter we’ll major in rich and hearty pasta dishes.”
I could see this business in 2023 slipping into the abyss of casual dining
As part of this step towards greater premiumisation, there will also be theatrical elements introduced including some tableside displays such as fish filleting and carbonara being tossed in a parmesan wheel. “One thing I’ve been is absolutely guest obsessed. Unless you are in touch with your food proposition, are well invested and serious about hospitality, it’s going to be hard yards. Quality of offer will always cut through and if you’re trying to have it away off people you don’t deserve to survive.
“Growth comes from the quality of the food, the experience you receive, and the price you pay. If you get all those three right, then you’re absolutely fine. We’re all about that substance. We want to do the things that matter.”
Piccolino will remain a core growth lever within the Individual Restaurants portfolio. Last summer the brand opened its first location within a hotel at Hilton London Tower Bridge. A further opening under the partnership with Hilton will see it expand to Bournemouth later this year, with more mooted in the future. “The Tower Bridge restaurant is now one of the top five sites in our total business,” says Garton. “We like Hilton and Hilton like us. It’s a partnership that works, and we’re happy with that.”
Cutting a dash with Forbici
Away from Piccolino, Individual Restaurants is also gearing up to roll out its fledgling Neapolitan pizza brand Forbici in the coming months, with a double opening in London planned for this year. Inspired by the traditional pizzas of Naples, the name Forbici translates to mean scissors in Italian with the pizza served in a style conventional to the city that sees it quartered using scissors
The concept, which launched in Manchester last spring and which has since opened a second site in Sheffield, is close to securing its first central location in the capital. Further expansion across the UK is planned in the years to come, with a suggestion it could eventually grow 20 sites or more in the UK. There are also hints that the concept could be expanded internationally down the line.
“It’s more than our expectations,” Garton says. “The reviews are amazing, the operating margin is good, and the sales are great.”
Ahead of its arrival in London, Forbici has just opened a second Manchester location in the Trafford Centre. “It’s a lovely, lovely business and there’s stuff coming down the track.
“What are we going to do with it in the long term? Well, we’re privately owned and we’ll continue growing it. If we can find the money ourselves to open 20, we’ll open 20.”
Forbici is a great business. It’s juvenile, fun and on trend. People love it and it will continue to grow
Like many players in the Neapolitan pizza space, Forbici positions itself as majoring in authenticity. Its dough is handmade fresh daily using flour from Molini Pizzuti and proofed for 12 hours to give an airy crust with high walls. Tomatoes are sourced from Solania – which produces San Marzano DOP tomatoes – and fior di latte mozzarella from Vico Equese.
Indeed, the quality of the product is already catching people’s attention. In June, Forbici became one of only two UK brands to rank in the top 100 list at The Best Pizza Awards 2026, which were held in Milan, Italy. The brand came in at number 84 on the list, with the only other UK name to feature, the London-based Crisp Pizza, coming in at number 33.
“It was a huge accolade for us,” Garton continues. “Forbici is a great business. It’s juvenile, fun and on trend. People love it and it will continue to grow.”
Scaling back
In terms of other brands within the portfolio, namely Riva Blu and Restaurant Bar & Grill, growth isn’t on the agenda. While Garton says he would open a site under the latter if the right location came about, he adds that the former will see its estate ‘scaled back a bit’ in the next year.
Garton notes that his background in retail has helped inform his approach as a restaurateur. “One thing that has allowed me to appraise this business very differently is the fact that I’ve not grown up in it. People ask me what’s the biggest difference between working in retail and hospitality, and I always say people need to go to a supermarket, they don’t need to go to a restaurant.
“Retail is a fulfilment provider for consumers, while restaurants are 100% discretionary. This is a dwell time business. You’re cooking food for people, pouring them a drink, engaging with customers and making them have a great time.”
One thing that has allowed me to appraise this business very differently is the fact that I’ve not grown up in it
While he points to challenges coming down the line, not least the increasing use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs among consumers, he is optimistic for the future. “Hospitality is resilient,” he adds. “People like to dine out and enjoy themselves, but in a world where money is precious, you’ve got to be the best version on yourself.
“We’re not into saving our way to success, instead we’re focusing on what makes the business work, the people and the food, and investing in it. We’re well financially structured, don’t have any bank debt, and we’re putting capital into the business. There’s a lot of opportunity out there for us right now.”
This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on MCA. To read its daily insight click here.