Global Restaurant Investment Forum

Speaker Profile

Kurt Zdesar

Founder, NZR Group

Kurt was the European Director for Nobu. The first European restaurant was opened in London, which received a Michelin-Star within 10 months of opening, the UK’s first Michelin-Star for Asian cuisine. He then went on to develop and establish the brand worldwide.

Having been inspired at Nobu to develop his own concept, Kurt founded the fast casual dim sum brand Ping Pong in 2004, which went on to become a successful global brand. Ping Pong was also recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing companies and continues to be one of London’s most successful Asian restaurants.

In September 2013 Kurt opened Chotto Matte in London’s Soho’s bringing together the best of Japanese and Peruvian culture. Chotto Matte serves the finest Nikkei cuisine alongside bold and expertly mixed cocktails in a vibrant and urban atmosphere.

Learning from his previous experiences, the following years were spent developing the concept to build a solid foundation for expansion. Kurt moved on to open Chotto Matte’s first international outlet in Miami in 2018. In 2019 Kurt took the brand to Toronto’s commercial district and opened a summer pop up in St Tropez.

The group continues to expand with plans to open a second outlet in London’s Mayfair and the first franchised restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2020.