16th August 2022
Midlands-based Korean-inspired Grounded Kitchen is to open 50 new UK sites with a £15m investment. The ten-strong company, which launched in Leicester in 2017, is looking to sign up franchise partners for up to 25 sites at a time, creating more than 500 jobs.
Ralph Llanwarne, Grounded Kitchen’s franchise director, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be rolling out the Grounded Kitchen experience across the UK and to be working with some fantastic partners on multiple sites. Our focus on delivering fast and healthy, balanced food has really captured the imaginations of those who dine with us, and we’re delighted to be able to share that experience with new communities as we expand the Grounded Kitchen family and fanbase. Grounded Kitchen is one of the most exciting franchise opportunities to come to the market in years, and this is a rare opportunity to get in on the ground level. We are actively looking to engage with ambitious partners to join us, as we continue the expansion of Grounded Kitchen across the UK. We are particularly interested in experienced partners looking to develop multiple sites with us.”
Grounded Kitchen recently opened its tenth site and first in the ‘London commuter belt’, at 43 High Street in Watford. It also operates four sites in its home town of Leicester and one each in Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford and Leamington Spa.
The company says its menu focuses on the growing market for free-from, flexitarian, vegan, vegetarian and plant-based diet options, with every dish calorie-counted. All sites feature an open kitchen offering a range of made-to-order ‘nourish bowls’, so diners can create a dish to “best suit their tastebuds and dietary needs“. They consist of fresh vegetables on a bed of rice, infused with a range of “intense and authentic” marinades. Diners can then add tofu, tempeh, meat or fish. It also offers Korean ssambaps and bao buns alongside a range of smoothie-style drinks topped with coconut, granola, almonds, strawberries and blueberries. Each store also works with the zero-food waste app, TooGoodToGo.