Chopstix, the Chinese-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand has expanded into Milton Keynes with a new restaurant at centre:mk, adding another high-footfall location to its rapidly growing UK estate and creating 30 local jobs.
The 3,323 sq ft restaurant is positioned next to TK Maxx and close to established Asian-inspired operators including Pho and Wagamama. The new restaurant has 50 seats and operates across dine-in, takeaway and delivery. It also introduces Chopstix’s latest store format, incorporating refreshed brand visuals and self-order kiosks as the company continues to modernise its estate.
The opening creates 30 jobs in Milton Keynes and comes as Chopstix continues to accelerate its UK expansion following the strategic investment by European QSR operator QSRP in October 2024. QSRP acquired a majority stake in Chopstix as part of a strategy to accelerate the brand’s growth across the UK and Europe.
The Milton Keynes opening was first announced in June, when centre:mk confirmed that Chopstix and dessert café Fluffy Fluffy would make their regional debuts at the shopping destination. Centre:mk said the Chopstix unit would complement its existing food-and-beverage offer and benefit from the centre’s large catchment of workers, residents and visitors.
The opening comes against a backdrop of significant growth for Chopstix. Its latest financial results, covering the year ended 31 December 2025, showed systemwide sales, including sales generated by franchise-operated restaurants, rising 10.2% to £116 million. Revenue from company-owned, or equity, stores increased 7.6% to £75 million, while underlying EBITDA climbed 31% to £12.5 million.
Chopstix added 21 restaurants during 2025, taking its estate to 169 locations at year-end. Growth has been achieved through a combination of company-owned and franchise sites, with the group specifically expanding partnerships with operators including Butlins, Haven, Welcome Break and Scotmid.
The franchise model is built around a flexible format strategy. Alongside conventional restaurants, Chopstix has been developing smaller Express concepts for convenience and grab-and-go environments. In May, it opened an Express-format site inside Scotmid’s new concept store in Uddingston, Scotland, following the launch of its first Express format in Edinburgh.
Travel locations have also become an important part of the franchise strategy. In February, Chopstix opened its first franchise site with motorway-services operator Roadchef at Strensham South services on the M5. Roadchef operates 31 locations serving an estimated 50 million travellers annually, giving Chopstix access to a substantial captive travel audience.
The group’s growth has also been supported by changes to its operating model and customer experience. Its 2025 results highlighted new store visuals, improved operational processes and digital ordering kiosks, while the company reported a Social Review score of 4.74. Chopstix also said the number of transactions upgraded to a meal deal increased by 51% during the period.
Jon Lake, Managing Director of Chopstix Group, said the business was “accelerating at pace” as it entered new territories, including mainland Europe. He said the brand’s financial position, brand equity and flexible operating model put it in a strong position to pursue its ambition of becoming Europe’s largest Asian QSR brand.
Founded in 2002 by Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik at Camden Market, Chopstix has grown from its original market-stall concept into a multi-format QSR business spanning the UK and Europe. The company’s partnership with QSRP has given the brand additional scale as it develops both company-operated and franchise-led growth.
