Gaucho Group (“the Group”), the leading Argentine steak restaurant group operating the Gaucho and CAU brands, today announces the appointment of Paul Mason as Non-Executive Chairman. Paul will work with Gaucho Group’s management, its private equity investor Equistone Partners Europe, and Luke Johnson, who remains an investor in the company, to support the Group’s continued growth.
Paul brings with him a wealth of experience in the food and retail sectors including recent roles as Chairman of Dr. Martens, Cath Kidston and Mayborn Group. Additionally, Paul previously served as non-executive Chairman of New Look and has held the positions of President of Levi Strauss as well as CEO at Asda, Somerfield and Matalan.
Zeev Godik, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Gaucho Group, said: “I’d like to thank Luke for his contribution to the Group as Chairman. We’re grateful that we will be able to continue drawing on his expertise of expansion programmes in the hospitality sector.
“We’re delighted to welcome Paul to the team. Paul brings extensive, hands-on experience in the consumer and retail landscape which will be invaluable in supporting our ambitious plans for the continued growth of the Group.”
Paul Mason, Non-Executive Chairman of Gaucho Group, commented: “The Gaucho and CAU brands have an established reputation for offering outstanding Argentinian food and high-quality service across a broad selection of price points. The opportunity to play a role in the further development of the Group is therefore an exciting one, and I’m looking forward to working very closely with management and the company’s investors to support its ongoing expansion.”
Luke Johnson, who will step down from the board to concentrate on his other business involvements, added: “I wish Gaucho every success and will continue to offer the business advice and support.”
Gaucho Group has continued to expand throughout 2017, opening new sites and investing in existing locations across the UK. Following the opening of a new site in Birmingham in May, the Group will increase its portfolio of Gaucho restaurants to 16 through the planned opening of a new restaurant in Edinburgh in November. It has also refurbished multiple venues across both the premium Gaucho offering and the mid-market CAU brand, which has 22 sites across the UK. In addition, the Group operates restaurants in Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Argentina.