Café Rouge owner insists business is not in receivership

Café Rouge owner Big Table Group has insisted the restaurant chain is not in receivership, despite a report this weekend.

The Sunday Times published a column by Will Self over the weekend which said the brand was “struggling” and “the last few outlets are on the verge of closing for ever”.

A spokesperson for Big Table Group said: “Contrary to a column in the Sunday Times on 21 May, Cafe Rouge is not in receivership. We have contacted the Sunday Times to request an urgent correction.”

Café Rouge was launched in Richmond, south London, in 1989, by Roger Myers and Karen Jones, who were inspired by the all-day brasseries of Paris.

In August 2020, private equity company Epiris bought Café Rouge owner Casual Dining Group out of administration and rebranded it as Big Table Group, which operates more than 150 restaurants across the UK and Ireland under three brands: Café Rouge, Las Iguanas and Bella Italia.