Bill's eyes expansion after trialling new concept

Casual dining chain Bill’s is back on the expansion trail following the successful trial of its new café bar concept earlier this year.

The Richard Caring-backed group has appointed property firm Savills as it looks to expand nationwide.

Bill’s, which has over 40 restaurants across the UK, will open in two new locations in Milton Keynes and Street in Somerset before Christmas.

It comes after a test run of its café bar concept, which offered part of the group’s core menu as well as £10 dishes on selected evenings, sharing plates, cakes pastries, beers and hot drinks, in the commuter towns of Newbury and St Albans earlier this year.

Bill’s is also in the process of developing its pipeline of properties for 2025 for both its café bar and main restaurant format.

The group said it delivered record sales in 2023, with EBITDA up 45% on 2022. Like-for-like sales have risen 3.4% in the first half of 2024 while EBITDA climbed a further 51% during the same period.

Tom James, managing director at Bill’s, said: “We have identified several key locations across the United Kingdom where we believe Bill’s would be a great fit.

“We are excited to be working with Savills to realise our ambitions to bring this well loved and colourful Bill’s experience to more guests in 2025 and beyond.”

Bill’s was founded by Bill Collison as a greengrocer in Lewes, East Sussex, in 2001 and was acquired by the Ivy restaurateur Caring in 2008.

Caring grew the business into a nationwide chain of more than 80 restaurants but later admitted it had become “tired” and needed a turnaround. The group closed over 20 underperforming sites off the back off the pandemic and has since invested in refurbishments across its estate.