Comptoir Group reports “modest sales growth” in year of “reset and rebuilding”: Comptoir Group, the owner of the Comptoir Libanais and Shawa brands, has reported “modest sales growth” on a like-for-like sales basis of 0.2% in the 12 months to 28 December 2025, which it said was a year of “reset and rebuilding”. The business, which operates 20 sites with a further six franchise sites, saw revenue fall to £33m (2024: £34.6m) in the year, with an adjusted EBITDA of £1.1m (2024: £800,000), as it closed two sites during the period. Its pre-tax loss stood at £1.59m (2024: loss of £1.94m). Chaker Hanna, chief executive, said: “2025 marked an important year of reset and rebuilding for the group. Since returning in early February 2025, the new board priority has been to bring sharper operational focus across the business, strengthen the foundations of our guest proposition, and ensure our teams are equipped to deliver a consistent and competitive offer in a challenging trading environment. Despite the wider headwinds facing the sector, our focus has been on placing value and experience at the centre of our proposition. This was a deliberate shift in emphasis, recognising that consumers have become increasingly discerning in how and where they choose to spend. During the first quarter of the year, whilst our total sales were only marginally down on a like for like basis, our covers were in decline by approximately 7% with our topline being supported by pricing adjustments introduced over the last couple of years. We did not feel this to be sustainable. One of the most significant pieces of work undertaken by management was a comprehensive menu review. In practice, we increased portion sizes, refined presentation, and strengthened consistency and packaging across channels. Importantly, we held prices firm despite the well‑documented increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Insurance from April 2025. The effect of this work became visible quickly. These enhancements helped lift covers across our estate, albeit we saw a small reduction in average customer spend. In the short term, the decision to strengthen our value proposition has created some pressure on our like-for-like sales growth. However, our intention was to rebuild momentum, reinforce our market position and create the conditions for sustainable growth. Operationally, performance across the core Comptoir estate was mixed, however several sites delivered encouraging like‑for‑like growth. Our Southbank restaurant opened in 2024 and has continued to perform strongly, supported by excellent guest feedback and a consistently high Google rating. Alongside these positive developments, we took necessary action where required, including the closure of two locations in Q1, and a restructuring of our support office in H2 to ensure our overhead base is appropriate for the size and scale of the group. The group closed the year with an adjusted net cash position of £1.9m (2024: £3.0m). The movement during the year has been influenced by restructuring costs and the settlement of certain historic liabilities which had previously been accrued. Clearing these obligations brings clarity to our balance sheet and strengthens the platform on which we move forward. Preserving cash and rebuilding reserves remains a key focus for 2026. We have continued to work very closely with our franchise partners and are pleased to announce that we will have a new franchise operation of Comptoir Libanais opening at Venice Marco Polo Airport in May 2026. We have also started work on the roll out of our Shawa brand with a new site expected to open in H2 this year in London. This will mark the start of our modest expansion on both fronts, the growth of our franchise operations together with company owned store expansion. Trading conditions through Q1 2026 have, as expected, been challenging. Looking ahead, we are anticipating continued sector headwinds, particularly cost of living pressures, and inflationary impacts driven even higher by the war in Iran and across the Gulf region. However, the operational improvements made throughout 2025, combined with a stronger menu and improved value offering, gives us confidence in the path ahead. The work we have carried out so far has laid the groundwork for sustainable performance, and overrides some of the external pressure. We remain focused on driving continued improvement and expansion across the business for 2026 and the years ahead.”