Opening one restaurant is difficult enough. Opening several is another challenge entirely.

The biggest challenge? Securing the right location before someone else does.

Sites move quickly, competition is fierce and the slightest hesitation can mean missing an opportunity altogether.

Nuri wanted to grow Gourmet Sushi by opening multiple locations across London.

He could have funded that growth using the business’ own cash flow, but it would have meant opening each restaurant one by one instead of simultaneously, which could mean Nuri didn’t get the locations that he wanted for his restaurants.

“[Opening restaurants] takes time, and it slows you down, and your competitors may open faster than you,” he explains.

To grow at the pace he envisioned, Nuri needed funding that could move as quickly as the opportunities in front of him.

In London’s competitive restaurant scene, waiting months for funding could mean losing the right location to another operator.

Moving quickly wasn’t a nice-to-have – it was essential if Gourmet Sushi was going to keep growing.

Like many business owners looking for capital, Nuri explored traditional methods of finance first.

But, like many others, the experience wasn’t what he’d hoped for.

“We were losing weeks and weeks. It was just a waste of time,” reflects Nuri.

Through his partnership with Deliveroo, Nuri discovered Deliveroo Capital, provided by Liberis.

Compared with his experience of traditional finance, the process was simpler and significantly faster.

Nuri says: “It was so much quicker through Deliveroo and Liberis.”

Having a dedicated account manager who understood his business also helped make the process smoother.

He says: “It was an easier, quicker and better solution.”

Through Deliveroo Capital, Nuri accessed £500,000 in funding to help take the next step.

The funding allowed Gourmet Sushi to open two new branches simultaneously, while also investing in refurbishing its existing restaurants.

The expansion meant reaching more customers faster, while the refurbishments helped bring the restaurants up to the standard Nuri wanted for his customers.

Although the expansion is still in its early stages, Nuri is already seeing positive signs.

He says: “We are getting more customers... it’s been a very short time since we took the funds, but it is improving.”

With the latest expansion underway, Nuri is already thinking about what’s next.

He wants Gourmet Sushi to grow across the UK, and that means expanding outside of London.

So, where first?

“There are so many great cities in the UK, such as Manchester and Birmingham,” says Nuri.

Encouragingly, he also sees funding continuing to play a pivotal role in his expansion journey.

For Nuri, funding wasn’t simply about opening more restaurants; it was about giving Gourmet Sushi the best chance of capitalising on opportunities, helping the business grow at the pace he always envisioned.