What HBCo does

HBCo (Harneet Baweja Company) is a UK-incorporated, founder-led multi-brand hospitality group operating five distinct dine-in restaurant concepts across London, Lisbon, and (from December 2025) Kolkata. Founded in 2015 by Harneet Baweja as Gunpowder Restaurants Ltd., the company began with a single modern Indian restaurant in Spitalfields and has since expanded into a portfolio of culturally distinct concepts: Gunpowder (modern Indian cuisine based on family recipes from coastal and mountain southwest India; four sites in London and Lisbon), Empire Empire (a Notting Hill curry house serving charcoal kebabs and curries paired with Champagne, launched 2023), Moi et Toi (a French bakery in Notting Hill and Tower Bridge launched in 2023 as a chef partnership), Fortune Fried Chicken (a Thai fried chicken concept at Old Spitalfields Market led by Chef Jane Atly), and Master Jackie (a Chinese restaurant opening in Kolkata on 31 December 2025, led by Avneet Baweja). The group holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand continuously since 2016 for Gunpowder Spitalfields and within six months of opening for Empire Empire, plus a Michelin Plate for Gunpowder Tower Bridge.

The company's core operating technology is conventional hospitality infrastructure: physical restaurant locations, individual brand websites, and third-party reservation platforms (OpenTable in the UK, SevenRooms in Lisbon). There is no proprietary technology platform, no app, no e-commerce channel, no delivery integration, and no wholesale distribution. HBCo makes money exclusively through in-person food and beverage transactions at its restaurants, plus ancillary event revenue (e.g., the 'Breaking Eggs' guest-chef series in Lisbon). Customer acquisition relies on brand reputation, social media (Instagram), Michelin and press recognition, and reservation platform visibility. The legal entity is Gunpowder Restaurants Ltd. (UK company number 09636955), registered at 24 Bedford Row, London; HBCo operates as a brand of that entity. Ownership is private and concentrated with the Baweja family; no external institutional investment, acquisition, or public listing has been disclosed.

Name

HBCo

Legal name

Gunpowder Restaurants Ltd.

Website

https://hbco-hospitality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HBCo is a UK founder-led multi-brand hospitality group operating five distinct dine-in restaurant concepts — modern Indian, curry house, French bakery, Thai fried chicken, and Chinese — across London, Lisbon, and Kolkata, serving individual diners in premium locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Brand Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Modern Indian restaurant
• Multi-brand hospitality group
• French bakery pastries
• Thai fried chicken
• Chinese restaurant dining

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales: Revenue generated from dine-in customers at 5 unique restaurant brands across 3 countries. Income derived from food, beverages, and potentially merchandise at each concept.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HBCo operates five distinct dine-in restaurant brands across London, Lisbon, and Kolkata, serving modern Indian, French bakery, Thai fried chicken, and Chinese cuisines. Each restaurant is a physical location where customers dine in and purchase food and beverages directly. The portfolio includes Michelin-recognized concepts (Gunpowder, Empire Empire) alongside newer launches (Moi et Toi, Fortune Fried Chicken, Master Jackie).

Product overview

HBCo (Harneet Baweja Company) is a multi-brand hospitality company operating 5 unique restaurant concepts across London, Lisbon, and Kolkata. Founded in 2015, the portfolio includes: Gunpowder (modern Indian restaurant with Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition), Empire Empire (curry house with Champagne pairing), Moi et Toi (French bakery), Fortune Fried Chicken (Thai fried chicken), and Master Jackie (Chinese restaurant in Kolkata opening December 2025). Each brand operates independently with distinct culinary identities while sharing operational infrastructure under the parent company Gunpowder Restaurants Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gunpowder Modern Indian restaurant offering family recipes from coastal and mountain regions of southwest India under Chef Patron Nirmal Save. Operates four dine-in locations in London (Soho, Tower Bridge, Spitalfields) and Lisbon (Chiado).
• Empire Empire Neighbourhood curry house specializing in kebabs cooked over charcoal, authentic Indian curries and breads paired with Champagne and low-intervention wines. Operates as a dine-in restaurant in Notting Hill, London, and received a Michelin Bib Gourmand within 6 months of opening.
• Moi et Toi French bakery producing laminated pastries and eclectic tarts using British and French flour and butter. Operates two dine-in locations in London (Notting Hill and Tower Bridge) with head baker Yazdin Pardiwala.
• Fortune Fried Chicken Thai fried chicken restaurant inspired by late-night establishments in Bangkok, led by Chef Jane Atly with over 20 years of traditional Thai cooking experience. Operates as a dine-in location at Old Spitalfields Market, London.
• Master Jackie Chinese restaurant in Kolkata, India, celebrating classic Chinese dishes such as pan-fried noodles, chili chicken, dumplings, and crispy duck. Inspired by the Baweja family's love for Jackie Chan, led by Restaurateur Avneet Baweja. Scheduled to open 31 December 2025 in Chowringhee, Kolkata.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OpenTableminorOthersOpenTable is used as the reservation provider for making bookings at Harneet Baweja Company restaurants. The privacy policy references processing personal data when customers make reservations via OpenTable.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Mamma Group: European multi-brand premium casual restaurant group (Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Avenue, etc.) with locations in London, Paris, and other major cities — directly comparable on cross-country, multi-concept premium-casual strategy.
• The Birley Group: London multi-concept hospitality group behind The Wolseley, The Delaunay, and Brasserie Zédel — comparable premium all-day dining London portfolio with cross-concept operational infrastructure.
• Dishoom: London-born modern Indian restaurant group with multiple locations across the UK. Closely comparable to Gunpowder on cuisine, premium-casual positioning, and multi-site London expansion strategy.
• JKS Restaurants: London-based multi-brand restaurant group behind Gymkhana, Trishna, Brigadiers, and Lyle's — directly comparable as a UK premium-casual Indian/Asian-flavoured multi-concept operator with strong Michelin and press credentials.
• Galvin Restaurants: Multi-concept London premium restaurant group (Galvin at Windows, Galvin Bistrot, La Chapelle) — comparable multi-brand London operator with Michelin recognition and chef-led positioning.
• Ottolenghi: London-based multi-location food brand combining delis, restaurants, and bakeries across the city. Comparable on founder-led multi-site London food concepts with strong brand identity and retail adjacency (similar to Moi et Toi).
• Hoppers: London restaurant group serving Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine across multiple sites. Closely comparable to Gunpowder on regional Indian cuisine positioning within the London premium-casual market.
• Caprice Holdings: London premium restaurant group operating The Ivy, Scott's, and Sexy Fish — directly comparable as a multi-brand London premium dining operator with similar neighbourhood prestige.
• D&D London: London-headquartered multi-concept premium restaurant group (Bluebird, Le Pont de la Tour, etc.) operating premium dining venues across the city — comparable multi-brand model with a similar London real estate footprint.

Emerging players

• Soho House & Co: Global hospitality membership group operating restaurants within private clubs and hotels. Adjacent comparator because of shared multi-city, chef-driven F&B programming, but a different commercial model (membership-led).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gunpowder-holdings

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HBCo