Andy’s well Fired Up as boutique hospitality group confirms further sites and brands are on the menu

The owner of a boutique hospitality group based solely in Dorset has revealed investment plans running into several hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Andy Lennox said the Fired Up Collective had “lots and lots of plates spinning” but further restaurants and new brands were definitely on the menu.

The plans include a fourth Nusara Thai restaurant with the group actively looking at sites in Broadstone, Ferndown and Westbourne.

A “massive investment” is on the cards for Zim Braai in Bournemouth with the pan-African restaurant moving to seven-day, all-day opening from breakfast to dinner.

Andy, pictured left, said: “It will be a full steakhouse concept.

“Still Zim but with a brunch and lunch concept.

“We want to put a massive pergola onto the front.

“The terrace is there now but we want to put a winter terrace out there as well.”

However, the next investment will be in Wimborne which is already home to a Nusara opened last year.

Andy, 36, said: “It will be a six-figure investment.

“Wimborne is a market we love.

“I’m local here and we love it.

“We love the people and we love the vibe.”

Founded in 2020, the Fired Up Collective includes Zim Braai (Bournemouth and Ashley Cross), Nusara Thai (Christchurch, Poole and Wimborne) and The Old Thatch (Stapehill).

It employs 170 full and part-time staff with a combined annual turnover in excess of £5 million.

Andy said: “We want to do hospitality the old way.

“It means wage costs are higher but we’re doing great food, great service with a great atmosphere.

“The stuff we’ve always done but so many places are not doing anymore.

“They’re just ‘we’ll QR code this and QR code that’.

“We’ve got lots and lots of plates that we’re spinning.

“Quite a few venues that we’re looking at and quite a few things in the pipeline.

“We’ve got another brand which we’re about to launch, hopefully, soon.”

Nusara Wimborne, pictured left, which opened last August, was the 20^th unit launched by Andy since 2009.

At the age of 21 he was one of the founders of the Koh Thai restaurant group.

It became the most successful Thai restaurant group in the South West.

In 2016 Andy conducted a Management Buy Out of his fellow business partners and sold Koh to a private equity house – a sale reported to be in the millions at the time.

Two years later and with 14 units, he exited the business after ten years at the helm.

In November 2020 he opened the first Nusara in Christchurch, marking his return to owning a Thai restaurant again.

Nusara Poole followed in July 2021.

The first Zim was opened in 2018 while The Old Thatch began as a joint partnership in 2021.

Andy, who has won multiple awards, said: “Fired Up Collective is about creating brands that people want to go to.

“We’ve basically built a restaurant group out of nothing in the toughest three years of the last 15.

“Our fourth Nusara will happen in the winter and we’re actively in discussion on three sites.

“We’re a family-based business, focused on accessible but high premium dining.

“We’re local, we’re boutique and we want people to support us.

“The more that we get, the more we’re going to invest and the more that we’re going to do.

“There are real issues in our industry.

“VAT is a serious problem as are utilities and wage costs.

“All of our businesses are high turnover but profit margins have diminished.

“We want to invest into Dorset and we want to build a really cool boutique restaurant group here.”