2026 Agenda
Inside Gaucho’s evolution: Baton Berisha on growth, investment and reinvention
Baton Berisha, chief executive, Gaucho Restaurants
Twelve months into his tenure as CEO, Baton Berisha has overseen a major transformation at Gaucho, from reshaping the leadership team and supply chain to broadening the brand beyond its Argentine steakhouse roots. Join this Q&A to hear how the 20-strong restaurant group is driving repeat visits, evolving its customer proposition and building momentum towards a return to double-digit growth, as the premium dining brand enters its next phase of investment and expansion.
From Pilgrims to pioneers: Pizza Pilgrims’ next growth frontier
Gavin Smith, CEO, Pizza Pilgrims
Following a landmark period of growth, a return to profitability and a string of new openings, Pizza Pilgrims is entering an ambitious new phase under CEO Gavin Smith and as part of McWin-backed L'Osteria. With expansion accelerating across the UK, and the brand preparing to make its international debut in Munich, Smith will discuss scaling the business while staying true to the culture, quality and value that have fuelled its success, as one of the UK’s most dynamic restaurant brands targets growth on both sides of the Channel.
A cut above: How Miller & Carter become the UK’s biggest steakhouse
Anne Marie-Mason, divisional director - premium, Mitchells & Butlers
Miller & Carter has consistently outperformed the casual dining market, cementing its position as the UK’s leading steakhouse operator. In this Q&A, Anne-Marie Mason will discuss how the Mitchells & Butlers premium brand has gone about calculated estate expansion, why consumers are still seeking out affordable luxuries and memorable dining experiences, and how Miller & Carter is capitalising on this demand to drive sustained sales growth.
Luxe, actually: How Thesleff Group re-invented upscale hospitality
Markus Thesleff, founder and CEO, Thesleff Group
Fresh from being the only luxury restaurant operator recognised on The Sunday Times’s 2026 list of the UK’s fastest growing businesses, Thesleff Group owner Markus Thesleff joins us for a fireside chat. With a portfolio that includes the Los Mochis, Sale e Pepe, LUNA Omakase and recently-launched MA/NA brands, Thesleff Group is becoming a dominant force within London’s dining scene with turnover projected reach £64.7m in 2026. Here, Thesleff will discuss the growth of the luxury hospitality space, and examine the opportunities he sees for expansion both in London and internationally.
Not Bowing Out: David Page comes back for a third slice of the Italian casual dining market
David Page, chairman, Bow Street Group
David made his name during his 25 years at PizzaExpress, floating the chain on the London stock exchange and growing it to 350 sites. He returned to pizza with Franco Manco which he grew and sold in 2023. Now he’s dived back into Italian casual dining with The Bow Street Group’s 25 strong Wildwood brand, he’ll share prospects for acquisitions and consolidation at his third and latest investment vehicle.
2025 Agenda
Maggie will exclusively preview Lumina’s brand-new Restaurant Market Report, assessing market performance and unpicking the latest operator and consumer insights. She will share the menu trends and innovation shaping the channel and driving growth, and consider challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.
As the restaurant sector faces unprecedented shifts – from evolving consumer expectations and labour shortages to sustainability demands and economic pressures – industry leaders must adapt and innovate at pace. This high-level panel brings together senior executives from across the multi-site restaurant landscape to share insights, strategies, and perspectives on how they are navigating these challenges while positioning their brands for long-term growth.
When Tom James was appointed MD in 2022, he identified that Bill’s was well behind the curve on tech and innovation. Since then, his team has implemented major changes and driven significant growth, ensuring that all decisions on innovation are filtered through its brand lens. Tom will reflect on progress so far and share the plan to 2027, as well as the lessons he has learned from taking his team on a significant change journey.
As the QSR brand celebrates 60 years in the UK and Ireland, KFC is investing £1.49bn in 200 restaurant upgrades, 7,000-plus new jobs, plus 500 new restaurants over the next decade. In this fireside chat, general manager Rob Swain shares why KFC is confident in its growth prospects, how it continues to innovate in a competitive fried chicken market, and its commitment to youth employment through its Hatch programme.
People and culture may be viewed as ‘soft’ policy areas, but the right skills and execution can result in measurable improvements to business performance – and profitability. In this session, host Ceri Gott, culture and leadership coach and former chief growth & culture officer at Hawksmoor, will explore how a core focus on people is resulting in tangible benefits for operators.
Azzurri Group has branched out from its full-service Italian restaurant origins over the past two years, with the acquisitions of Mexican fast-casual chain Boojum, the UK master franchise rights to California-founded, and Nashville-inspired, chain Dave’s Hot Chicken and tech start up Openr. In this Q&A group CEO Steve Holmes discusses how the new business mix enables Azzurri to move quicker in fast growing areas of the restaurant sector, the potential for the roll-out of its newest brands, and how Azzurri is looking to drive forward its core businesses: Zizzi, ASK Italian and Coco di Mama.
From pizza disruptors to authentic Chinese cuisine and all-day Mediterranean dining, this year’s innovation showcase features dynamic, up-and-coming operators who will share how they’re standing out in a crowded market. Tasos Gaitanos, co-founder at Brother Marcus – winner of Emerging Concept of the Year at MCA’s Hospitality Awards 2025 – will discuss how the business grew to a six-strong estate. The Breadstall founder Seb Vince will present insights into how they’re upending the pizza market and Wenjun Xiang will share her successful journey from a 17-year-old entrepreneur to founder of Xi Home, and her plans to develop new concepts.
Amid a challenging, cost-impacted restaurant market, what does the financial landscape look like for restaurant M&A activity? In this presentation, Graeme will give a forecast of the investment climate, consider what buyers are looking for from ambitious businesses, and explore the consumer trends and economic outlook influencing dealmaking.
It was all change at the business formerly known as D&D London earlier this year, with the premium restaurant group revealing a new name and identity alongside the appointment of a new chief executive. During this fireside chat, CEO Martin Williams shares his vision for The Evolv Collection, under the ownership of Calveton and Breal Capital, including the potential to expand its Bluebird, Sartoria and Chop House brands.
Three years on from The Big Table Group’s acquisition of the South East Asian brand, Banana Tree’s managing director Kate Wilton shares how the ethos and passion of the founder-led business is being retained as it embarks on the next stage of its growth journey, and why Big Table believes it has the potential to become a truly national brand.
Deepening customer relationships outside the four walls of a restaurant has become a key focus for businesses in an increasingly digital world. In this panel we discuss how restaurant operators are evolving their loyalty offers, building a rapport with customers online and driving sales through delivery.
Born in Sri Lanka, Des grew up in London and trained in finance, before meeting Sir Terence Conran in 1991. Their partnership transformed Conran Holdings into a global restaurant, retail, hotel and design group with annual revenues of circa £150m. In 2006, Des led a private equity-backed buyout of Conran Restaurants, which he evolved into D&D London, the luxury restaurant group that has opened German Gymnasium, 14 Hills, and 20 Stories and Queensyard in New York. After leading D&D London for 16 years, Des announced his new venture D3 Collective in 2023, a collection of individual restaurants collaborating with different investors, chefs and restaurateurs.