Rosa’s Thai CEO to step down

Gavin Adair has announced he will be stepping down from his role as chief executive of Rosa’s Thai at the end of the year.

 

From then on, he will support the board as non-executive director, overseeing the continued growth of the business.

 

Adair was named managing director of Rosa’s Thai in 2017, having joined from Wahaca, where he was commercial and strategy director, and in 2020, he was made chief executive of the Thai restaurant group.

 

He quadrupled Rosa’s Thai’s footprint in that time, taking it from 10 to now over 40 restaurants across the UK.

 

Rosa’s Thai is due to open its 44th site in the new year off the back of recent launches in Norwich and London’s Kingston.

 

Adair will be succeeded by Sarah Hills, who was most recently chief operating officer at Côte Brasserie.

 

She has also held managing director roles at high street chains such as Megan’s, Bills and Wagamama.

 

Adair said: “It was with a heavy heart that I made the decision it was time to seek a new challenge, and I’m grateful to Trispan and the Board for the opportunity to stay involved with Rosa’s even as I do that.

 

“Alex and Saiphin trusted me to run their wonderful business all those years ago, so it’s great all three of us will continue to be involved in this next phase of its growth under Sarah and a hugely talented exec team.”

 

Chef Saiphin Moore opened her first Rosa’s Thai restaurant in London’s Spitalfields in 2008.

 

Global private equity firm Trispan acquired a majority stake in Rosa’s Thai Café in 2018, when the group still had only 13 sites.

 

In May 2023, Rosa’s Thai secured £10m funding from Barclays bank amid plans to bolster its openings pipeline.