Greene King acquires Hickory's with plans to create a national restaurant brand

Pub group Greene king has acquired smokehouse restaurant group Hickory’s with plans to grow it into a national dining brand.

Hickory’s was founded in 2010 by Neil McDonnell and now runs 17 restaurants across the Midlands and north west, employing around 1,500 people.

It targets the family market, and its sites include chef’s tables, cinemas, and children’s play areas.

Greene King runs around 2,600 pubs and restaurants across the UK under brands including Loch Fyne, Hungry Horse and Farmhouse Inns.

The group said Hickory’s had performed “exceptionally well” since reopening following the pandemic and was “highly complementary” to its current portfolio.

Hickory’s will continue to be run by McDonnell and managing director John Welsh.

Nick Mackenzie, chief executive officer at Greene King, said: “We are confident that we can take Hickory’s to the next chapter in its history, and we look forward to working with John and the whole of the Hickory’s team as we focus on building it into a national dining brand.”

McDonnell added: “We are delighted to have this investment from Greene King which enables us to bring the Hickory’s smokehouse offer to many more guests and locations. This will provide our teams with fantastic opportunities for growth and development.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.