Operator profile: Shiko Group

The buzz on the streets of Manchester on 8 and 9 July was positively palpable. She was, as the brothers responsible for the atmosphere would sing just two nights later, electric. Yep, on the two days I was in town during the summer, so were Oasis, who were getting ready to play five sold-out shows at Heaton Park. Posters, banners, endless pub A-boards offering discounts to ticketholders – there was even an official merch stand operating all week in the centre of the city. A bit much? Who cares, I thought, you gotta roll with it.

Despite the whole country talking about the Gallaghers once again playing their hometown, this clever journalist hadn’t realised the date clash and that he would be able to witness firsthand what the hysteria meant for the pubs and bars of the cities Oasis were playing in. Alex Allan, general manager of Hydes hotel The Abel Heywood, tells me he was anticipating a busy few days for the pub I was lucky enough to be staying in during my visit. Despite the shows being out of the city, he was hoping to catch fans before and after the gigs. I ask Allan where else I should be checking out while I’m up north and after reeling off a number of excellent outfits (a big thumbs up for Dan Beger’s The Morris), showing he really knew the operators of this city, he asks me what brings me to Manchester. “I’m interviewing the co-founder of the Shiko Group,” I say. “Who?” he replies. And so my story begins…

Brandless 

I tell Allan they’re a multiple operator with around 10 venues between here and Leeds, and that I’m meeting them at Campfield House. “Wow, that place is massive,” says Allan. “Be interesting to see what they’re doing there.”

He wasn’t wrong. For when I arrive at Campfield House to meet co-founder Anthony Ellis (pictured above) and marketing manager Hayley Sammé, I feel like I’ve walked into an air hanger-come-coffee shop, potentially questioning why I’m talking to Shiko (named after Ellis’s late mother, Yoshiko) about pubs and bars. One of the latest additions to the Shiko portfolio does have a bar, yes, but this place is definitely more about coffee, all-day dining and, crucially, events. Which is, after all, where it all began for Ellis through his first business WePop. But as our day continues with a tour around all eight of Shiko’s Manchester sites, it becomes clear why the Abel Heywood’s GM wasn’t aware of the group name – this is a portfolio of venues that aren’t linked by an overarching brand or delivery, as each one is almost a brand within itself. Allan knew the venues, just not the business behind them. When we reach Lawn Club, a foliage-covered ‘permanent pop-up’ in the heart of Spinningfields, I’m told this is considered the flagship of the group.

Shiko Group's Side Street in Manchester

“The growth of Lawn Club is certainly up there as one of our greatest achievements,” Ellis tells me. “From year one, I think we traded at around £350,000. For a pop-up, not bad. But we’re now 10 times that figure across a six-year period. A lot of what we do as a business is about not standing still. We’ve recreated the space and reimagined it multiple times until we’ve felt we’ve really maxed out what it could be. We changed the narrative around what the brand is and who the audience should be, plus we’re clearly in an amazing location. Being opposite The Ivy, what we’ve done is become a great, accessible spot that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”

Indeed, Ellis tells me how on one occasion some Ivy guests asked the Lawn Club team if their venue was the smoking area of the Caprice Holdings restaurant. “I loved it,” says Ellis. “I think we actually just said yes and just let them come in.” 

It turns out Lawn Club would be the start of a wonderful relationship between Shiko, Spinningfields and property developers Allied London. Following the success of the Shiko debut, the group became the first operator its new partners would come to should a new space become available nearby. The diverse selection of sites that followed pretty much created the varied portfolio you’ll see today, as no two spaces are the same.

“There are a lot of reasons why our things work, and it’s around location and the space we’ve gone into,” says Ellis. “We couldn’t have grown at such speed if our target was finding a ground floor space in a standard skyscraper or tower. Like what The Alchemists do, or a lot of these brands, where they can just go into these glazed glass units and then create something – I think that’s really impressive. But we would much rather work with an existing, really unique building or an amazing space that just has been untapped. That’s what I suggest [operators] should be finding, rather than looking for that next empty unit in the city centre or high street.”

Courts Club has its own basketball and tennis court

All about events

During my tour of the Shiko sites, there is one word that is repeated more than any other – events. Each venue is built to maximise its set-up through events bespoke to its concept and layout. There’s Courts Club, the quite brilliant spot in Goods Yard Park, which features its very own basketball/tennis court and thus hosts events often linked to sport (it’s got a great bar and street food offer too). Then there’s Side Street, the creative hub nestled inside the ABC Buildings that will host anything from live music and comedy shows, to art exhibitions and corporate meetups. The Dome, a fully-fledged event space, is sat on the roof next door. Check this place out – it’s really something. Ellis attributes the event-led nature of the group to the foundations of his hospitality career. Alongside his business partner Jon Ware, he runs WePop, the business that still produces large festivals during the summer months. This was the organisation that preceded Shiko Group.

“Because WePop is the original business, myself and Jon create experiences,” says Ellis. “By nature, that is what we do. We brought that across from WePop to Shiko. Because of this, every site is unique because they are all very event- and experience-led. Even at Stables Tavern, our pub on Grape Street, where we could have just allowed the beer to do the talking, we now run four nights of music a week. 

“We’ve got a mix of event spaces, so there are different ways that we sell them. The number one rule is a space needs to stand out. There needs to be a point of difference, which clearly we try and do in every site we have. Then it’s about having a shit-hot sales team – they’ve got what’s in front of them to be able to sell, and then we make sure they’re motivated enough to want to sell it. One plus one equals two – it’s not rocket science. It’s fundamental to our business. Take Lawn Club – a lot of venues steer away from private hires, but because we’re so event-based, we’ll always go for that. You don’t know if it’s going to piss it down that day, so if you didn’t have that booking in, your sales would have plummeted.”

So do any particular events really bring in the big bucks? Corporate hires are “really solid” for the group, as many businesses with large budgets are keen to impress teams or whoever they’re hosting. Then, of course, there’s the football. It’s no surprise that with its big screen and outdoor area, Lawn Club raked it in throughout the triumphs of the Lionesses during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 tournament. All Shiko eyes are on next year’s FIFA World Cup.

The Dome, a fully-fledged event space

Finances and the future 

For this financial year, Shiko Group is predicting its biggest year to date, projecting a turnover of £9.2m just six years after acquiring the Lawn Club. Collaborating with its funding partner Universal Hospitality, the group is forecasting an even bigger 2025/26, with a predicted turnover of £14m with the addition of more proposed sites in Manchester and beyond.

“This year, we’ve already broken records,” says Ellis. “Highest trading days, highest trading weeks. The weather over the last three months has helped most hospitality businesses across the country, but at the core of our business we’re pretty lean and we are very good at striking partnerships with suppliers and running sponsorship deals. We’re good at driving the top line, but really concentrate on the bottom line as well, always. So we are in a good place and we are continuing to grow. I’m very growth-minded, as is our senior leadership team.”

Marketing manager Sammé winces at the mention of growth. As you might imagine, keeping track of promotional opportunities across such a varied estate that has grown so quickly is not without its challenges. Indeed, Ellis admits that if they had 10 venues all operating under one brand “life would be a bit easier” and it’s not long before he starts talking about the prospect of introducing the Lawn Club model to other cities around the UK. It would be the first scaled-up brand within the group.

For now, though, he has promised his team that there will be no further openings in this calendar year, but you won’t be surprised to learn that the next Shiko venues are already in the pipeline for 2026.  

“We are looking at growth,” Ellis concludes. “There’s going to be new openings locked in for Q2 next year, which we’re excited about, and we are also actively seeking partnerships and landlords for potential brands, like Lawn Club, in other cities. If someone thinks our brands can fit nicely into an amazing space they have, then we would be all ears.” 

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