Black & White Hospitality

About Black & White Hospitality

Established in 2013, Black & White Hospitality is a UK-based restaurant franchise business specialising in the development and operation of branded dining concepts associated with renowned British chef Marco Pierre White.

The business originated from a partnership formed in 2010 between Marco Pierre White and hospitality entrepreneur Nick Taplin. Their vision was to transform underperforming hotel restaurants into successful dining destinations by introducing recognised restaurant brands, distinctive menus and professional operational support.

Following the successful launch of six restaurants over three years, the partnership developed into Black & White Hospitality, creating a dedicated franchise platform to support hotel owners, property investors and hospitality operators seeking to enhance their food and beverage offering.

Black & White Hospitality holds franchise rights to a portfolio of Marco Pierre White restaurant concepts, including Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill, Marco’s New York Italian, Wheeler’s of St James’s, Mr White’s English Chophouse, Koffmann and Mr White’s, Bardolino, Wheeler’s Fish & Chips and Marconi.

Each concept offers a distinctive dining experience, ranging from premium steakhouses and contemporary Italian restaurants to traditional British dining and more relaxed casual dining formats.

The company’s approach centres on adapting its restaurant concepts to complement existing properties, rather than imposing a standardised restaurant design. This flexibility allows franchise partners to retain the character of their hotels and buildings while benefiting from the recognition associated with Marco Pierre White.

In 2024, the business expanded its portfolio with the introduction of the Marco Pierre White Ale House, a pub dining concept designed to combine quality food with a relaxed and accessible hospitality experience.

Black & White Hospitality supports franchise partners through restaurant design and development, menu creation, procurement, staff training, marketing and ongoing operational management.

The company also offers international franchise opportunities through Black & White Hospitality International, providing access to its restaurant concepts for hospitality operators and investors outside the UK.

With an established portfolio of restaurant brands and extensive experience in hotel-based hospitality, Black & White Hospitality offers franchise partners the opportunity to develop distinctive dining destinations supported by recognised culinary branding and specialist industry expertise.

Why franchise with Black & White Hospitality

• ✓Established hospitality franchise business founded in 2013
• ✓Restaurant concepts associated with internationally recognised chef Marco Pierre White
• ✓Portfolio of eight established restaurant brands
• ✓Flexible franchise model suitable for hotels, standalone restaurants and hospitality properties
• ✓Opportunities to convert underperforming restaurant spaces into branded dining destinations
• ✓Restaurant concepts tailored to complement individual properties and locations
• ✓Comprehensive pre-opening design, development and operational support
• ✓Structured front-of-house and back-of-house training programmes
• ✓Access to established menus, recipes, brand guidelines and operating procedures
• ✓Ongoing marketing, procurement and supplier support
• ✓Regular operational reviews, mystery diner assessments and performance monitoring
• ✓Opportunities for single-site and multi-site franchise development
• ✓UK and international franchise opportunities
• ✓Franchisor-stated target return on investment of 20% or more, subject to individual site performance

Investment breakdown

What's expected of a franchisee

Property requirements

Black & White Hospitality offers a flexible restaurant franchise model suitable for existing hotels, hospitality venues, standalone restaurants and selected commercial properties.

The company specialises in transforming underperforming hotel restaurants and food and beverage spaces into branded dining destinations, although opportunities may also be considered within suitable standalone locations.

Both freehold and leasehold properties can be considered, with restaurant concepts selected according to the building’s characteristics, surrounding market, customer demographics and commercial potential.

Unlike standardised restaurant franchise models, Black & White Hospitality takes an individual approach to property development, adapting restaurant design, interiors and operational layouts to complement the existing building and its surroundings.

The company offers a portfolio of dining concepts, allowing potential franchise partners to select a brand that aligns with their property, target market and investment objectives.

Property requirements, including restaurant capacity, kitchen facilities, floor area, extraction, accessibility and refurbishment specifications, are assessed individually.

All proposed locations are subject to evaluation and approval by Black & White Hospitality to ensure suitability for the selected restaurant concept and compliance with brand standards.

Training and support

Black & White Hospitality provides franchise partners with comprehensive training and operational support throughout the restaurant development process and beyond.

Before opening, franchisees benefit from access to a specialist team offering guidance across restaurant design and development, sales and marketing, finance, procurement, menu development, operations and staff training.

The company provides access to an online franchise portal containing brand guidelines, standard operating procedures, food and beverage specifications, marketing resources and financial reporting tools.

Structured training programmes are developed for both front-of-house and back-of-house employees, supported by brand-specific training manuals, an online learning platform and a dedicated training application.

A comprehensive pre-opening programme combines offsite and onsite training to help restaurant teams prepare for launch and establish consistent operational standards.

Following opening, franchise partners continue to receive ongoing operational assistance, supported by an annual training calendar and monthly development programmes.

Additional support includes product and supplier workshops, management development sessions, operational reviews, regular site visits, mystery diner assessments and brand compliance audits.

Black & White Hospitality also provides ongoing sales, marketing and social media support, together with access to a guest feedback platform designed to monitor customer satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.

The company’s structured support model is designed to help franchise partners maintain brand consistency, strengthen operational performance and deliver a high-quality dining experience.

Operational requirements

Black & White Hospitality franchise partners are expected to operate their restaurants in accordance with the standards, procedures and service expectations associated with their selected restaurant concept.

Operational responsibilities include overseeing restaurant management, maintaining food quality, supervising employees, controlling stock and procurement, and ensuring compliance with food safety, hygiene and licensing requirements.

Franchisees must maintain the distinctive identity and customer experience of their chosen Marco Pierre White restaurant brand while ensuring that operations complement the wider hospitality property where applicable.

Operators are expected to follow approved menus, food and beverage specifications, brand guidelines and standard operating procedures.

Franchise partners must also participate in training programmes, operational reviews, performance monitoring and brand compliance assessments.

Effective financial management, customer service, marketing participation and employee development are important elements of successful restaurant operations.

A commitment to delivering consistent food quality, professional service and an accessible premium dining experience is essential.

Experience required

Black & White Hospitality seeks established hospitality operators, hotel owners, property investors and experienced business professionals interested in developing branded restaurant concepts.

The franchise opportunity is particularly suited to existing hotel businesses seeking to improve the commercial performance of their food and beverage operations, as well as investors looking to introduce a recognised restaurant brand into a suitable property.

Previous experience in hospitality, restaurant management, hotel operations or multi-site business management may be advantageous.

Prospective franchise partners should demonstrate strong commercial awareness, operational management capabilities and a commitment to delivering high standards of food quality and customer service.

Applicants must possess the financial resources required to meet the initial franchise fee, restaurant development costs and ongoing operational commitments.

Black & White Hospitality considers both individual restaurant opportunities and discussions involving multiple locations.

The company also welcomes enquiries from suitable international hospitality operators and investors interested in developing its restaurant concepts outside the UK.

Specific franchisee eligibility requirements and experience criteria are assessed directly by the franchisor.

Territory availability

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