Maurice Abboudi
Maurice has an MBA from Manchester Business School. He started his career in the City as Money Market Trader moving on to join Shermond Surgical Supply as Marketing Director in 1988. This business grew into the largest supplier of Single Use medical disposables in the UK with sales of over £20m in 2000. Maurice continued as a Non Executive Director from 1991 until the business was sold to Bunzl Plc in April 2000.
He founded Famous Moe’s Pizza in 1992 – the UK’s leading independent Pizza Delivery chain (Mintel 2002) – developing it into a twelve unit operation and selling it in January 2002 to a major Burger King Franchisee.
Maurice then joined Domino’s Pizza in 2002 as Head of Business Development with responsibility for an extensive store roll out. The 50 store target was achieved in 2003 with Domino’s Pizza established as the clear leader in the Pizza Delivery sector with Sales in 2004 approaching £150m.
In 2004 Maurice was approached by several leading Restaurant companies and has acted as a consultant to some of the UK’s best known brands providing advice on areas covering Operations, Property, Franchising andLocal Store Marketing. Maurice is also the Leisure Advisor to Chrysalis Venture Capital Trust and a major Private Bank in Switzerland with regards to investment in the Leisure sector. Maurice has an in depth knowledge of emerging and early stage concepts and has most recently been advising US operators on entry to the UK Market
Christopher Kemper
Christopher has been part of the UK restaurant and delivery scene since arriving from Australia in 1996. As Development Director for YO! SUSHI, he was part of the team who launched the original Soho site and oversaw the highly successful first roll out phase. He has since consulted on various restaurant concepts throughout the UK and Europe including Wagamama, Mother Mash, and Tokyo Sushi.
Christopher’s specialty lies in concept development, with particular knowledge and personal interest in Japanese Cuisine. He is currently Managing Director of the well established City based K10 Modern Japanese restaurant group which he founded in 2000. He also advises Japanese restaurant companies potentially looking to expand to the UK.
Another major focus is food delivery concepts. Having developed and launched the highly acclaimed Pizze Cucina in 2002 and Demaezushi in 2006. He is currently on the board of Pizze LUPA which he acquired together with Maurice Abboudi in 2010.
Nick Gross
Nick comes from a long line of successful restaurateurs and chefs and entered the restaurant industry straight out of university when he joined the Marco Pierre White Restaurant Group in London in 1995. After six years working in operations for the group where he was involved in the opening and running of some of London’s top restaurants, including; L’Escargot, The Criterion, Quo Vadis, The Mirabelle, The Oak Room, The Grill Room at the Cafe Royal, The Belvedere, Titanic and Drones, Nick left to open his own restaurant; The Clerkenwell Dining Room and Bar in London, EC1.
In 2002, he set up and ran The Restaurant on the Square near Winchester, winning ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in The Good Food Guide. In 2003, he opened his second venture; The Devonshire House gastro-pub in London, W4, eventually selling this on to Gordon Ramsay. Since 2001, he has consulted on a wide range of projects ranging from Michelin-style fine dining to casual fast food to pubs to hotels, in the capital, nationwide and overseas. Since 2010 he has worked as Restaurant and Food Consultant for The Gorgeous Group on food and beverage projects including the Waldorf Astoria Hotel – Syon Park, the Hilton Hotel – Liverpool, Dishoom – London and The Balcon at the Sofitel Hotel St James – London.
Since January 2011 he has acted as Pre-opening Project Manager and then Operations Director for ex-Gordon Ramsay Head Chef; Mark Sargeant, in opening his two new highly-acclaimed Kent restaurants; Rocksalt and The Smokehouse.
