Thaï Express

About Thaï Express

Canadian QSR franchise chain Thaï Express was acquired by MTY Food Group from Tara Fung Holding in 2009 and now has circa 300 restaurants in more than six countries. The brand was brought to the UK in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Sachin and Uzma Pattani, who now operate eight Thaï Express outlets here. Sachin said: “In our view, Thai food is the most exciting cuisine in the world. I got involved with the brand because I am a Thai food obsessive. I wanted to find the world’s best Pad Thai and bring it to these shores. We can cater for people just like me, who’ll go to lengths to find the best southeast Asian food. Likewise, we’re fiercely proud to be affordable and accessible. This cuisine should be opened up to everyone - and our chefs are happy to adapt and listen to the customer.”

In 2021, Thaï Express opened its first full-service restaurant “kitchen” format site, in Edinburgh in 2021, adding casual dining and a licensed bar to its offer. Its opening in Nottingham in August 2024 shares a space with a first UK site for Japanese concept Japami, which has also been brought here by the Pattanis, and in the summer of 2025, the brand opened its first “kitchen” format restaurant in England, in Bristol.

In May 2025, the Pattanis told Propel they are forming a new parent company to help grow their three brands. Thai Express, Thai Express Kitchen and Japami will now sit under the umbrella of Supa Group. They said: “Part of the reason we looked more into fast casual dining was we always felt that the quality was there, but we could give more. Thai food as a quick service restaurant (QSR) is still a new thing really, so I think there is still great scope for the restaurant format. In the Midlands, we’ll continue with the QSR-style business, and in the more regional cities we’ll look to open some more restaurants.”

That same month, the Pattanis said they are aiming to grow their new dine-in format to 30 sites, and there is an even bigger opportunity for their own-brand Japanese concept. They said expanding Thai Express Kitchen is “long term where we want to be” and what the business is focusing on for the next 12 months. They see the opportunity for the business as “realistically, 40 Thai Express takeaways in the UK, and a maximum of 30 Thai Express Kitchens”.

They added: “Japami is in its early days, but that could be a much bigger entity. It could be a 40-50 site operation. It’s designed to be a franchise and it’s quite a simple operation.”

They said Thai Express Kitchen will stay “more corporate as we’re still developing it, and to do three a year would be amazing”. They added: “We’re looking to have all our quick service restaurants franchised. The target would be, in the next six to 12 months, sign up three franchisees. After Glasgow and Cardiff, we’ll start to look at cities like Newcastle, Portsmouth, Southampton and Norwich - big cities with good tourism, tier one shopping centres and 365 days a year business. We might look at London again - we’ve stayed away from it. If we get to ten or 12 Thai Express Kitchens, then London opens up again as the demand will be there for the format.”

In terms of opportunities such as travel hubs, the couple said one airport location is under consideration and in its early stages - although this would involve some careful thinking around the offering.

In August 2026, Propel revealed that Thai Express UK is set to undergo a restructuring after filling an intention to appoint administrators. All of the company’s sites continue to trade.

Why franchise with Thaï Express

• ✓Minimum investment is £50,000 and total investment £150,000, with franchise fees of £15,000. Advertising fees are 3% and royalty fees 6%, with average shopfloor space 800 square feet. In return for their investment, franchisees get a comprehensive training package (including business systems and inventory management), help with site selection (strong potential in terms of its visibility, traffic, square footage and cost preferred), brand support (including local and national marketing) and a turnkey solution for ordering from suppliers (helping maximise margins).
• ✓The company said: “According to industry research firm Edelman, 23% of the coveted millennial generation eat Thaï food regularly, yet there is no national player in the Thaï cuisine market.
• ✓We maximise our margins by controlling the supply chains, giving our franchisees a complete turnkey solution when it comes to ordering supplies. This unique selling point provides a complete one-stop-shop for all your ordering needs.
• ✓“Thaï Express is fast, too. For example, our most popular dish is Pad Thaï, and customers who order this dish typically receive their food less than three minutes after ordering at the register. A vibrant environment, simple menu of more than 300 individual dish options, and inviting customer service took Thaï Express from a humble five stores to 285 locations in Canada in just 12 years.
• ✓“Thaï Express is a low-cost investment opportunity with high potential for growth as we expand across the UK. Start-up costs can range depending on the model you choose. The franchise fee for multiple units can be discounted if certain conditions and criteria are met.”

Investment breakdown