The restaurant chain has a venue in Liverpool ONE
Exterior of Cote Bistro in Paradise Street, Liverpool.
A major UK restaurant chain with a venue in Liverpool is reportedly on the market. The private equity firm Partners Group, which owns Côte Brasserie, is initiating an auction for the business, which has 70 chains across the UK.
The ECHO understands there’s no discussion of any potential closures of Côte restaurants, including the Paradise Street restaurant, at this stage. According to Sky News, Partners Group is collaborating with Interpath Advisory to find new investors for the struggling restaurant chain. Partners Group acquired Côte out of administration in autumn 2020 in a deal said to be worth £55 million.
The number of restaurants was reduced from 100 to 70 five years ago when the brand fell into insolvency.
Kate Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality, commented on the situation: “If we carry on with these trends and the situation doesn’t improve – and clearly Rachel Reeves’s statements are giving a signal to consumers that it is not going to get better any time soon – then I would see this accelerating,” reports Birmingham Live.
The venue’s steak offering
She added: “Unless there is a change of tack by the government, we are looking at 150,000-200,000 fewer workers in hospitality during the first full year of [employer national insurance contribution] changes.”
Sources close to the sale process revealed that Interpath was promoting the company based on last year’s turnover of over £150m.
During the Covid period, Côte also introduced a home delivery service coteathome.co.uk which received a review from Jay Rayner.
The venue’s Calamari offering
The first restaurant was established with its initial bistro opening in Wimbledon in 2007, and its most recent restaurant opened its doors in 2022 in Henley on Thames.
The Liverpool ONE Parisian-inspired restaurant opened in the city centre in 2014, at the time creating 35 jobs.
The venue offers all-day brasserie dining, from breakfast through to lunch and dinner, with a menu of French dishes with a “modern twist”.
On the menu you will find everything from steak frites, tuna Niçoise and chargrilled corn-fed Breton chicken, as well as house specialities crème caramel and crème brûlee.