La Place, the restaurant business of Dutch retailer Jumbo, will continue to operate as an independent organisation.
The activities of La Place will be transferred to an independent joint venture, with Royal Jumbo Food Group and franchise operator Vermaat as intended shareholders, the retailer noted.
The move aligns with Jumbo's new strategic plan and will offer more room for the growth ambitions of the restaurant chain, the retailer said.
As a co-owner, Jumbo will retain the exclusive option to offer La Place products in its supermarkets.
The company added that it has informed the employees of La Place, Jumbo and Vermaat about the decision.
The plan is subject to advice from labour councils and approval from the competition authority.
“We are proud of the results we have achieved with La Place since we were able to include the catering organisation as part of the Royal Jumbo Food Group in 2016,” said Ton van Veen, CEO of Royal Jumbo Food Group.
“La Place brought Jumbo more inspiration on food, including in terms of innovation, new recipes and products. We have translated this into concepts that we have integrated into our Food Markets and the larger Jumbo shops. Thanks to this added value, we have been able to distinguish ourselves as a supermarket even more in the market,” van Veen added.
Independent La Place
The intended independent La Place organisation will comprise La Place employees who currently work within Jumbo's own La Place restaurants, as well as employees of the current La Place service office in Veghel.
The company plans to move the La Place service office from Jumbo's head office in Veghel to a new office in the centre of the country.
Jumbo's Food College, which also develops recipes for La Place, will continue to create new recipes, innovations and fresh products for Jumbo.
Moreover, La Place will continue to develop unique recipes for its restaurant range.
Rick Zeelen, CEO of Vermaat added, “This strategic decision is in line with our positioning and expansion ambitions. We are franchise entrepreneurs of 41 La Place restaurants and that will remain the case in the intended construction.
“I am pleased that, as a co-shareholder in the future joint venture, we can continue La Place's growth ambitions to serve guests with a fresh range in this food service formula.”
