Zambrero has appointed Sumin Lohani to lead its expansion across Southeast England, a move that gives the fast-casual restaurant brand a regional operator with established franchise experience. The appointment covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Berkshire, where the company plans to open as many as 30 restaurants by 2030. The proposed rollout is expected to create about 450 jobs across the region.
The company’s immediate attention is focused on high-footfall commercial areas in larger towns and cities. In Hampshire, target markets include Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Winchester. In Berkshire, Reading and Bracknell are among the locations identified for future development. The strategy reflects a broader industry preference for carefully selected local markets rather than rapid national expansion.
Lohani brings a long record in hospitality and franchising. He currently operates multiple YO! Sushi franchise kiosks and owns The Compasses Inn in the New Forest. He joined Zambrero as a franchise partner in 2025 after taking over the brand’s Reading location and is preparing to open a second restaurant in Basingstoke later this year. His experience in both foodservice operations and local market development made him a natural choice for the new role.
Recruitment will be central to the expansion effort. As development agent, Lohani will oversee franchise partner recruitment across the territory while also supporting site acquisition, operations and regional strategy. In practical terms, that means identifying operators with local market knowledge, sufficient capital and the ability to maintain brand standards as the footprint expands.
The emphasis on recruitment reflects a wider shift across franchising. Regional growth increasingly depends not only on securing sites but on building a network of capable operators who can scale responsibly. Tools such as Gorilla Dash illustrate how recruitment systems can support that process by helping brands manage candidate pipelines, maintain visibility across territories and create more structured expansion planning.
For Zambrero, the Southeast appointment is another step in its wider ambition to reach 100 locations across the United Kingdom by 2030. The company’s progress in the region will depend on disciplined execution, local partnerships and the steady pace of market-by-market development that often determines whether expansion becomes durable.
