Story

The story of NoHo Partners began almost 30 years ago in Tampere. Since then, the company has grown into one of the leading restaurant groups in the Nordics.

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Where our story began

Start of a new era 

The story of NoHo Partners began in 1996 with only one pub in Tesoma, Tampere.

In 2005, Restamax Oy was founded, which expanded the business from pubs and entertainment restaurants to include food restaurants. The company’s growth continued, and a few years later, in 2013, Restamax Oyj became the first restaurant company to be listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

In 2018, the company took its first international step by expanding into Denmark. In the same year, the most significant restaurant industry acquisition in Finnish history was completed when Restamax Oyj acquired Royal Ravintolat, which owned Savoy and Elite, among others. NoHo Partners Oyj was formed, with the aim of growth in international markets in addition to the domestic market. The following year, the company expanded its business to Norway.

In 2020, the company acquired a majority stake in the Friends & Brgrs chain, and in 2023, Better Burger Society, that operates in the growing European premium burger market, was founded together with Intera Partners. Friends & Brgrs became part of Better Burger Society, and at the same time, NoHo Partners’ international growth continued with the acquisition of the Swiss Holy Cow! restaurant chain into the newly formed company.

In 2024, the company announced a strategic focus not only on its domestic business but also on international investment activities, which will enable the acceleration of international growth. The work we have been doing for years to develop the Nordic restaurant culture and the entire industry continues also in the future.

vision and values

Nordic Hospitality Partners

Nordic refers to Nordic quality and our future growth in Northern Europe, where we seek market leadership. Our tried and true restaurant concepts from one geographic area can be easily exported to other markets as well.
 

We see many opportunities outside conventional restaurant operations, such as large events and new digital sales channels. Digitalisation enables us to provide more comprehensive experiences. This is reflected in Hospitality. 

Partners emphasises our key competitive advantage, the partner model, which helps us strengthen owners’ commitment as well as create meaningful brands for our customers, leading to lasting and profitable customer relationships. As a large operator, we are able to implement the ambitious ideas of restaurateurs and introduce innovative new services. 

Business operations