Yorkshire better burger business Urban Fresh Burgers & Fries is set to make its London debut after signing an expansion deal with Pret A Manger franchisee Exultant Group.
The six-strong Urban Fresh Burgers & Fries, which was founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Mehmet and Zerin Kent, opened its first franchise site in December, in Sheffield. The business also has two sites in Doncaster, one in Rotherham, one in Barnsley and a delivery-only outlet in Leeds.
The company said partnering with Exultant Group, which operates 18 Pret sites alongside a portfolio of circa 30 Pizza Hut Delivery restaurants, is the start of its national expansion plans.
Urban Fresh Burgers & Fries said Exultant Group, which is led by Mizan Syed, has ambitions to “grow the brand significantly over the next five years” – with a first location expected to open later this year in London.
Mehmet Kent said: “We’re big believers that long-term success comes from the right partnerships and that sustainable growth only happens with people who share your values, and Mizan gets it. He brings serious experience, but also shared ambition, a focus on quality and clear understanding of what we’re working to build.”
Syed said: “The UK burger market is growing rapidly, and after exploring several strategic options, including launching a major US franchise, expanding an existing multinational brand, and even creating my own concept, I chose to partner with Urban Fresh Burgers & Fries.
Mehmet has done a fantastic job building a brand that puts product quality and customer experience at its core. The concept has already proven successful in South Yorkshire, and I believe it’s ready to scale.”
He added: “With more than 20 years in franchising and more than 50 sites launched, 25 of them in just the past two and a half years, I’ve built the infrastructure and support systems to take brands national. Together with the Urban team, we’ll identify where we can add the most value. Once our initial London sites are proven, there’ll be no stopping us.”
Mehmet Kent told Propel in May that Urban Fresh Burgers & Fries was set to expand outside of the county soon and was in talks on its next locations. Exultant Group, founded in 2014, took its Pizza Hut-branded estate past the 30-site mark last year after acquiring the majority of the former Sania and Dhoke 1 businesses out of administration.
Having initially built its Pret estate in and around Yorkshire, it acquired seven further Pret sites in March, the majority of which are based in London
