Partners Group, which acquired the French-inspired brasserie Côte during the Covid-19 pandemic, is initiating an auction for the business.

The private equity firm is collaborating with Interpath Advisory to find new investors, as reported by Sky News.

Côte was purchased from administration by Partners Group in 2020 in a deal valued at £55m.

Interpath Advisory is marketing Côte based on last year's turnover, which exceeded £150m.

The chain operates 70 sites across the UK, a reduction from almost 100 locations before its insolvency in 2020.

Around 60 of these sites are profitable, suggesting potential for additional closures.

Highlighting potential challenges, UK Hospitality chair Kate Nicholls was quoted by The Sun: "If we carry on with these trends and the situation doesn't improve - and clearly Rachel Reeves's statements are giving a signal to consumers that it is not going to get better any time soon - then I would see this accelerating.

"Unless there is a change of tack by the government, we are looking at 150,000-200,000 fewer workers in hospitality during the first full year of [Employer National Insurance contribution] changes."

Côte has encountered several difficulties in recent years, falling into administration in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The deal did not include its Limeyard and Jackson & Rye brands, leading to three site closures and 56 redundancies.

Côte recently closed its Gloucester Quays branch, which had been operational since 2017, and its Hampstead, London location shut in 2024 after 14 years.

The news of Côte's auction follows the recent permanent closure of London-based dim sum chain Ping Pong after 20 years. The company announced the closure of its last four locations via social media.

In May 2025, Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias closed his Paco Tapas restaurant in Bristol, and in March, French-style restaurant chain Bistrot Pierre closed eight UK venues.