Euro Garages co-ceo Zuber Issa has confirmed to Forecourt Trader that the company completed a deal to buy the Little Chef chain of roadside restaurants on February 1.
Little Chef was previously owned by the Kout Food Group, which bought the chain in 2013 for £15m.
A spokesperson for Intervias, parent company of Euro Garages, later said: “We’ve completed the acquisition of two companies from the Kout Food Group, that between them control 78 roadside sites.
“The acquisition includes usage rights to the Little Chef and related brands. This transaction forms part of our growth plan to acquire and develop strategically-positioned sites, allowing us to bring a portfolio of market-leading brands to consumers and communities across the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
“It also consolidates Euro Garages’ position as the UK’s leading roadside retail operator.”
Some commentators have speculated that the Little Chef brand could disappear as Euro Garages is likely to replace it with its partner brands which include Starbucks, Subway, Greggs, Burger King and KFC.
At its peak in 2000 there were 450 Little Chefs, and in 2009 celebrity chef Heston Blumental was involved in an attempt to revamp the ailing brand, but that number has now dwindled to 70.
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