Private equity group Permira is reportedly putting its Little Chef roadside restaurant chain up for sale.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Permira acquired the chain last year when it bought Travelodge, but has decided to focus on the hotel business. The company has not put a price tag on the restaurant chain, but analysts believe it could fetch up to £50m (US$94.4m), reported The Times.


The Little Chef chain consists of 297 company-operated restaurants, as well as 40 franchised outlets at Moto motorway service stations. Travelodge apparently plans to retain the 115 outlets located beside its motels.


Earlier this year Little Chef scrapped plans to replace its chef logo with a slimmer version because of public opposition to the idea.


“We still get 20 million customers a year and the outcry over the slimmed-down logo shows its enduring appeal. It was always our intention to separate it out and sell it to focus on our lodge business,” Grant Hearn, Travelodge chief executive, was quoted by The Times as saying.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact