La Tasca eyeing further growth after profits rise
The Restaurant People Group, owner of the La Tasca tapas bar chain, has reported sales and profits up by nearly one third for the year to 25 April.
Sales of £39.8m were up by 32% on the previous year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose by 27% to £7m.
The group runs 39 La Tasca restaurants across the UK and two in the USA.
Thirty-two restaurants were open for the full year and 10 new ones opened during the period.
Spend per head is in the £10-£20 range and food sales typically account for 65% of revenue.
More than 70% of its customers are women, La Tasca says.
The company plans to open a further eight to 10 restaurants this year, starting in Croydon and followed by Plymouth, Aberdeen and Kingston.
It believes there is an opportunity to operate 150 restaurants in the UK.
The company said trading since the start of the new financial year had been "encouraging". It said it was "confident that 2004-05 will be another year of successful growth."
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