What does it mean if you are a ‘paltry tycoon’? That you are somehow worthless, trashy or not worth considering? This is the message Billy left on Rich’s desk in the NTI newsroom before he went bowling this evening (Wednesday 14 October) - Paltry Tycoon Saves GBK. Off Up The Lanes x.
Frankly, the x at the end of a text or WhatsApp message has always bothered me, when the message is from one male colleague to another. Is it a declaration that cannot be said in any other way? Has it been squeezed in at the end of a line of text as a consequence of unrequited affection? Is it merely a slip of the thumb?
Whichever, this is how Billy described Ranjit Bopara, who will take over the Gourmet Burger Kitchen brand in a deal which will see about two-fifths of its restaurants close. Deloitte are on the case, handling the pre-pack as the central part the administration process, a spokesperson saying this afternoon that the sale would secure 35 sites and 669 jobs; 26 restaurants will be closed following the deal.
It appears that Mr Boporan is actually a poultry tycoon, who is far from trashy. But who really wants to be described as the animal you have sent to slaughter several billion times over? In any event chicken boy earlier this year rescued the Carluccio's chain and already controls the Giraffe, Ed's Easy Diner and Fishworks brands as well as 2 Sisters Food Group, one of Britain's biggest private sector employers. He is fast becoming ‘Casual Dining Chap’ and clearly knows more about this sector of the market than those who have recently exited it with shame on their hands.
GBK was put up for sale earlier in the summer when South African company Famous Brands wanted rid, and now most of its restaurants can trade again, with chicken on the menu and no less than a worthy tycoon at its helm.
