Comptoir Group founder calls for chairman and CEO to resign

The founder of Comptoir Group, Tony Kitous, is locked in a battle for control with the directors of the restaurant chain.

Kitous, who holds a 47% share in the company, has written to its board calling for chairman Richard Kleiner and chief executive officer Chaker Hanna to step down.

If neither do, he stated he will be voting against Kleiner’s re-election at the annual general meeting on 30 June and will call for a meeting to request the removal of Hanna.

Kitous founded Comptoir Group in 2008 as a Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurant group.

In an update, Comptoir Group claimed that the independent directors believe Kitous is seeking to control the company “for his own personal profile and financial needs” by replacing the board with candidates of his choosing.

It alleged that the independent directors had “sought to actively engage” Kitous to resolve matters over recent months and were “disappointed” he had declined to respond.

The company said: “The independent directors believe the comments and proposals by Mr Kitous within his letter are being made to promote his own financial gain and the actions proposed are to the detriment of all independent shareholders.”

The independent directors claimed Kitous had had “limited input” into operational and financial decisions over the past six months and said he lacked the “commercial judgement” to run the company.

The group said that if Kitous removes Kleiner and Hanna from the board he could potentially de-list the company from the AIM, potentially putting their investment at risk.

“The independent directors however believe that a proper recruitment process should take place to identify suitable candidates who enhance the experience, skill set and corporate governance of the board, as opposed to nominees of Mr Kitous,” the update read.

The company said further announcements would be made in due course.

Comptoir Group operates 19 UK restaurants under the Comptoir Libanais brand and two international sites in Dubai and Utrecht. It also runs smaller outlets under the quick-service Shawa brand and two standalone high street restaurants, called Levant and Kenza.