25 Jan Middleton Enterprises invest £800K to finance expansion of SushiDog chain
Family investment office firm, Middleton Enterprises, with offices in London and Newcastle, today announced its second round of funding into SushiDog, the fast growing quick service restaurant chain that offers customers a menu of Sushi rolls, bowls and salads. The £800,000 investment will finance the opening of four new sites in London, building on the previous funding round of £612,000 led by Middleton Enterprises in April 2023.
SushiDog’s ‘grab and go’ model offers a healthier alternative to mainstream fast food outlets, is proving to be extremely popular with customers, driving footfall and sales at their existing sites. To capitalise on the chain’s growth and popularity SushiDog’s owners have identified multiple London sites that are due to open in 2024. The timely £800,000 Growth Capital investment is being channelled directly into the development of those sites. This follows on from the original funding round led by Middleton Enterprises that resulted in the opening of SushiDog units on Baker Street and The Strand in September and October 2023.
Middleton Enterprises growth capital strategy helps to finance fast-growing, profitable SME’s within the UK. Middleton Enterprises has a strong track record in supporting the growth of rollout businesses with an ambition to expand. SushiDog fits the criteria of a successful and well run chain that is on track to achieve its growth target of opening 30 quick service restaurants over five years.
James Middleton, Senior Investment Associate at Middleton Enterprises, said: “We back businesses that we know have the potential to succeed and SushiDog continues to deliver on its potential, even outperforming our initial expectations. As a result, we’re absolutely delighted to have reached a second round of growth investment in less than a year. This level and frequency of investment isn’t that common, it’s a testament to the founders and the faith we have placed in them and their business model.”
James added: “Unlike most investors we operate on a longer-term basis working closely with startups, founders and business owners to develop sustainable businesses focused on growth, job creation and profitability. SushiDog has capitalised on our original investment to increase its presence across London and we’re looking forward to helping the business maintain its trajectory and build an exciting quick food service brand.”
SushiDog’s Co-Founder, Greg Ilsen, said: “We’ve enjoyed a strong year that has seen terrific growth and an increase in sales. We’ve experienced a 77% increase in revenue year on year, which is down to the hard work and dedication of our team and the astonishing performance of our London sites. Middleton Enterprises stepped in to provide the financial backing we needed to execute on the new London sites we had identified. Their unique flexible and collaborative investment approach suits our style and culture, allowing us to expand at a rate that matches our ambitions.”
Middleton Enterprises is a family-owned business with offices in both London and Newcastle Upon-Tyne. Besides SushiDog, its Growth Capital portfolio includes OneGym, one of the fastest-growing regional gym chains in the UK, the proptech company Alertacall, a provider of digital engagement and contact solutions to housing associations, and One Utility Bill, a digital platform that enables landlords and letting agents to create, quote and set bill packages for properties and tenants.
