Top 3 Restaurant Franchises in the UK

Cara Squires, writer

Published at 22/11/2021, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Top 3 Restaurant Franchises in the UK
Photo © Top-3-Restaurant-Franchises-in-the-UK.jpg

If you’re an ambitious individual on the lookout for some exciting and challenging business opportunities, starting your own restaurant franchise could be the perfect fit for you. In a sector that has been thriving and bouncing back in style in recent months, you’re sure to be pushed and challenging with some of the franchises below.


With many of the toughest trading restrictions now behind us, the UK restaurant sector has been looking forward to better days ahead. The sector is expected to grow by as much as 32% [Truly Experiences] which, considering many businesses were forced to temporarily close, is an astonishing figure and highlights just how dynamic UK restaurant franchises truly are.

What does a restaurant franchisee do?

If you’re considering making a career change with a restaurant franchise, there are some key responsibilities which you will need to be somewhat confident doing on a daily basis:

  • Being a capable and confident team leader
  • Confident when working in a high-pressure environment
  • A good knowledge of some best practices when it comes to providing service
  • A rough idea of how to run a successful business
  • A long-term commitment to building a restaurant franchise
  • A passion for the food industry

Having some of these important skills will certainly put you on the path to success with your very own restaurant franchise business. It’s important to remember, though, that your personality also matters a lot. Being a well-qualified franchisee on paper means nothing if you’re lacking in some other personality traits. So, with this in mind, consider to what extent you are some of the following:

  • Ambition
  • A growth mindset
  • Positivity in the face of challenges
  • Charisma
  • Organisation
  • Leadership

If you tick these boxes, you could well be the perfect restaurant franchisee. So, if you’re looking for some franchise businesses to start your own restaurant franchise, here are some excellent leads.


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Franchising opportunities in the restaurant sector

1. Camile Thai

Camile Thai is a healthy and sustainable food franchise that, unlike many other franchise businesses, has enjoyed continuous growth throughout the pandemic period. Offering healthy and exciting food, ready to be delivered in a sustainable and tech-savvy fashion, this franchise has over 45 ambitious franchisees already and you could be the next one.

  • Becoming a Camile Thai franchisee: The ideal franchisees will have some previous management experience, as you will be challenged professionally in this role. But, in addition to some of the training and support on offer, you can very quickly get started in this successful business.
  • How much you need to invest: Your total investment will depend on the size and location of your business, but with a minimum investment of £100,000 and franchising fees of £20,000, you can get the ball rolling quickly.
  • What you get for your investment: You’ll benefit from some dedicated and specialist training schemes that will give you all the skills you need to run a successful restaurant franchise. On top of a six-week fast-track scheme covering all the essentials, you’ll have ongoing support to help with things such as marketing and advertising.

2. Shoryu Ramen

Shoryu is the UK’s leading fast-casual ramen bar specialising in high quality, authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen. Asian food is becoming one of the most popular international cuisines in the UK market, making this fast-growing franchise a superb opportunity for a forward-thinking and committed franchisee.

  • Becoming a Shoryu Ramen franchisee: In line with Shoryu Ramen’s aggressive growth strategy, this franchise is looking for seasoned and competent franchisees with some relevant management experience.
  • How much you need to invest: You will need to make a total investment of £550,000, in addition to franchising fees of £25,000.
  • What you get for your investment: You’ll receive a specialist four-week training programme at some of the franchise’s existing restaurants. There’s plenty of pre- and post-opening training and support for you, so you can be confident there’s a lot of development on offer with this franchise.

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3. Street Greek

Street Greek is the UK market leader serving great tasting Greek street food. This cultural cornerstone has become an exciting part of the London food scene and is eyeing some exciting growth in the coming months and years. Street Greek franchisees are currently turning over an average of £20,000 a week, so there is plenty of scope for financial growth. Demand for tasty treats such as these are back at normal levels, so to secure a corner of this market for yourself, now is the time to start your own franchise with Street Greek.

  • Becoming a Street Greek franchisee: The ideal franchisee will have excellent people-facing and service-based skills, in addition to being a confident people manager.
  • How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum investment of around £120,000 to kickstart your franchise business. Your total investment will be around £200,000, with franchising fees of £15,000 + VAT.
  • What you get for your investment: Your six-week training course will cover all the essential skills and processes you need to know, and will even run after your opening. It will cover everything such as health and safety laws, so before you open, you’ll have a solid grounding on the major skills you will need.

Franchising opportunities in the restaurant sector

The above three opportunities are only a starting place for your franchising research. There are lots of other investment opportunities in the restaurant sector so be sure to find a business that suits your needs and skills. If this isn’t for you, there are still lots of other exciting opportunities in other sectors, so consult the UK franchise directory to find a business that ticks all your boxes.

Cara Squires, writer

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