The Big Table Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Predecessor | Tragus Group, Casual Dining Group |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Whitbread (original divestment) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | James Spragg (CEO) |
| Products | Restaurant chains (Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny's, Las Iguanas, Banana Tree, Chiquito, Coast to Coast, Firejacks, Filling Station) |
| Owner | Epiris |
The Big Table Group Limited, previously known as Tragus Group and later the Casual Dining Group (CDG), is a hospitality enterprise in the United Kingdom that operates primarily under well-known brands such as Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny's, and Las Iguanas. Additionally, the company oversees venues branded as Banana Tree, Chiquito, Coast to Coast, Firejacks, and Filling Station. Ownership of the company rests with Epiris.
In mid-May 2020, CDG issued a warning that its restaurant chains were at risk of entering administration but was simultaneously engaged in negotiations with several interested parties regarding a potential sale. On 2 July 2020, the firm officially entered administration, leading to the shutdown of 91 locations and the elimination of approximately 1,900 positions.
Following this, Epiris acquired CDG from administration in August 2020 and subsequently rebranded the business as The Big Table Group.
Tragus Group
The origins of Tragus Holdings date back to 2002 when Whitbread divested 153 underperforming dining establishments from its Pelican and BrightReasons divisions. This portfolio at the time comprised brands such as Café Rouge, Bella Pasta, Mamma Amalfi, Abbaye, Leadenhall Wine Bar, and Oriel.
A management buy-in valued at £25 million was supported by £11 million in funding from venture capital firm ECI Partners. The leadership team was headed by CEO Finlay Scott and included Gavin Williams, managing director of Bella Pasta, alongside Harry Morley, who had formerly served as finance director at Whitecross Dental Care.
In January 2005, Tragus changed hands when it was sold to Legal & General for a sum between £90 million and £95 million, yielding approximately £18 million in profits for its directors. Legal & General appointed Graham Turner—previously Managing Director at Unique Pub Company—as the new CEO.
By December 2006, Tragus had expanded its portfolio to encompass 163 restaurants and was acquired by Blackstone Group for £267 million. In September 2006, the company unveiled plans to launch Huxley's Bar & Kitchen at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.
The year 2007 saw swift growth through acquisitions including Ma Potters for £14.15 million and the purchase of the Strada chain for £140 million, which brought Belgo and Bierodrome restaurants under its umbrella. Additionally, Tragus secured a contract with Center Parcs to operate Bella Italia and Café Rouge outlets within its UK holiday villages.
In April 2012, Graham Turner resigned as CEO; John Derkach, formerly managing director of Costa Coffee, succeeded him in August.
Early in 2014, Blackstone’s ownership stake was sold to US-based investor Apollo Global Management. Apollo aimed to restructure rental agreements for Café Rouge and Bella Italia locations and divested Strada to Sun Capital Partners in September that year.
Casual Dining Group
In March 2015, Tragus Holdings underwent a rebranding to become Casual Dining Group (CDG). By July 2015, CDG had acquired Las Iguanas followed shortly by the purchase of La Tasca. The group further expanded its presence by establishing concessions for Bella Italia, Café Rouge, and Las Iguanas within Center Parcs resorts as well as several UK airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Jersey, and Inverness.
Despite these growth initiatives, CDG continued to shutter unprofitable outlets and tackled ongoing financial challenges throughout 2018. During this period, Apollo sold its shareholding to KKR and Pemberton Capital Advisors—the latter having provided financing since 2015. Several La Tasca sites were either converted or disposed of entirely; the final four locations were sold off by February 2020.
Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, on 18 May 2020 CDG announced it was collaborating with advisors to safeguard the business while evaluating future options. Media sources suggested that one key brand might enter administration as part of a financial restructuring plan. By late May, CDG was engaged in discussions with various parties including other restaurant operators and private equity investors concerning a possible sale aimed at preserving up to 6,000 jobs.
Ultimately, on 2 July 2020 CDG entered administration resulting in closures of 91 venues and job losses amounting to 1,900 staff members; this left 159 restaurants still operational. The firm AlixPartners was appointed to oversee the administration process; no purchasers were found for the outlets that closed.
The Big Table
On 3 August 2020, the private equity firm Epiris took ownership of Casual Dining Group, which included brands such as Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, and Café Rouge, following the group's administration process. The company was subsequently renamed The Big Table, with James Spragg appointed as CEO alongside the existing leadership team.
In 2023, The Big Table further grew its portfolio by acquiring the majority of The Restaurant Group's underperforming outlets for £7.5 million, adding 75 Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito locations to its operations.
Social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility was a key focus for CDG, which achieved a 17% reduction in energy usage between 2012 and 2016 and collaborated with The Prince's Trust charity. Several CDG brands were recognized for their seafood sustainability standards within their respective categories. The company committed to sourcing all whole eggs as free-range and planned to extend this standard to all egg ingredients by 2025 in partnership with Compassion in World Farming. In 2019, CDG pledged to adhere to the European Chicken Commitment to enhance chicken welfare conditions.
Moreover, CDG worked with UK-based charity FareShare to divert surplus food to those in need, helping to minimize food waste.
Controversy
In 2009, Tragus was implicated in reports revealing that multiple UK restaurant chains it operated, including its own brands, used customer gratuities to fulfill minimum wage requirements for servers. This practice reportedly resulted in servers receiving wages as low as £2.50 per hour, supplemented by tips. It was alleged that managers pressured staff to promote card payments for tips, which were then counted toward wages, with threats of termination if tip amounts were deemed insufficient. Mystery shoppers disclosed the company’s tipping policies to patrons. Following the introduction of new regulations on 1 October 2009 that prohibited this method, Tragus amended its system by adopting a Tronc scheme that allocated all tips—after deducting a 10% administrative fee—to employees through payroll.
By 2020, Casual Dining Group had established a policy where all cash tips and service charges from customers were fully passed on to staff. For card transactions, a 2.5% administrative charge was applied to cover banking fees before the remaining amount was distributed entirely to employees. These tips and service charges were paid in addition to statutory minimum wages, with employees responsible for declaring cash tips for taxation purposes.