For years, hospitality leaders have talked about “experience” as the differentiator. But increasingly, the data is making something very clear:
Well-executed interior design and refurbishment programmes don’t just look good, they materially improve turnover, margins and brand momentum.
Few recent examples illustrate this better than Prezzo Italian.
In results published for the year ending 31 December 2025, Prezzo Italian, part of Brava Hospitality Group reported:
- Turnover rising to £100.2m, up from £92.6m
- EBITDA up more than 300% year-on-year to £2.8m
- Like-for-like growth of 8% across the estate
But perhaps most striking for anyone investing in bricks-and-mortar restaurants?
According to Brava Hospitality Group, Prezzo’s refurbished sites delivered post-reopening like-for-like growth of 20.6%, with ten locations recording their strongest trading weeks on record.
That’s not marginal uplift.
That’s transformational.
Photo: Dine Out Magazine
Refurbishment as a commercial strategy – not a cosmetic one
Prezzo’s performance followed a targeted refurbishment programme across 12 restaurants during the year with a further 40 refurbishments planned.
Crucially, Brava Hospitality Group positioned these projects not as aesthetic refreshes, but as part of a broader turnaround:
- Creating “relevant restaurants”
- Improving guest experience
- Streamlining operations
- Reinvesting cost savings back into sites
James Brown, Chief Executive of Brava Hospitality Group, summed it up:
“These results show what Prezzo Italian is capable of when we focus on the fundamentals – great food, relevant restaurants and disciplined execution.”
The word relevant matters.
In a competitive, price-sensitive market, design and layout decisions directly influence:
- dwell time
- repeat visits
- perception of value
- operational flow
- staff efficiency
- social shareability
- brand reappraisal
When those elements work together, the financial impact compounds.
Design drives more than covers, it supports new revenue streams
Prezzo’s growth wasn’t limited to dine-in.
Brava Hospitality Group reported:
-
42.2% like-for-like growth in its dine-at-home proposition
-
4.8 million covers served
-
Over 350,000 members signed up to its new Club Prezzo loyalty scheme
Strong restaurant environments reinforce brand trust, which in turn supports loyalty platforms, takeaway growth and premium positioning across channels.
When guests fall back in love with physical spaces, digital and off-premise sales often follow.
Photo: Restaurant Online
Why this matters for hospitality operators in 2026
Prezzo’s story reflects a wider shift we’re seeing across the sector.
Operators are increasingly treating fit-out and refurbishment as:
- brand repositioning tools
- margin protection strategies
- portfolio growth platforms
- estate optimisation levers
Not vanity projects.
When paired with menu simplification, operational redesign and sharper brand storytelling, as Brava Hospitality Group outlined, physical environments become one of the fastest ways to reset guest perception at scale.
The role of design and build in unlocking ROI
For operators, the lesson is simple:
Profitability isn’t just driven from the kitchen or the marketing budget. It’s built into the walls, layouts, lighting plans and finishes of your restaurants.
The most successful refurbishments today:
- improve flow front- and back-of-house
- future-proof sites for new service models
- reduce long-term maintenance costs
- upgrade brand perception overnight
- give marketing teams new stories to tell
- re-energise teams and guests alike
At 2G Design & Build, this is exactly where we focus, helping hospitality brands create spaces that don’t just open doors, but shift performance.
Prezzo’s turnaround powered in part by a focused refurbishment programme is a timely reminder that when design decisions are commercially led and expertly delivered, the results show up where it matters most:
in turnover, margins and long-term brand strength.
