Can Marc Coucke expand Amadeus without changing the Belgian rib institution?
Marc Coucke’s investment company Alychlo has acquired a majority stake in Belgian spare-ribs chain Amadeus, while owners Marie Thevelin and Peter Dobbelaere remain involved and prepare a sixth restaurant in Bruges.
The deal could turn a familiar Belgian restaurant concept into a larger national chain. Its success will depend on whether new capital can support expansion while preserving affordable prices, consistent food standards and the distinctive atmosphere customers associate with Amadeus.
’s investment company acquired a majority stake in Belgian spare-ribs chain on Friday, 21 August, placing one of the country’s most recognisable casual-dining brands under the control of a prominent Belgian investor. Current owners and will remain involved, while the purchase price and precise ownership division have not been disclosed.
For diners in , , and , the immediate message is continuity. Coucke told Flemish media that he does not intend to alter the familiar formula and that should remain affordable. The restaurant is built around unlimited ribs at a fixed price, served in theatrical interiors that have become almost as recognisable as the food. That combination has turned the chain into a shared reference point for generations of Belgian residents, students and visitors.
The acquisition nevertheless comes with a clear growth plan. According to ’s announcement, as reported by and VRT NWS, ’s five existing restaurants receive almost 400,000 guests annually. A sixth branch is due to open in this autumn, after which the partners aim to add an average of one location a year. Neither Alychlo nor the owners have said where the subsequent restaurants might be located or whether expansion outside is being considered.
began in in 1987 and remained associated with its original, deliberately informal dining concept for decades. Thevelin and Dobbelaere acquired the business in 2023. Their work since then has focused principally on renovating and professionalising its kitchens while preserving the restaurants’ established identity, according to VRT NWS’s account of the transaction. Their decision to remain provides operational continuity as supplies capital and experience in scaling leisure businesses.
That balance is the central test. Coucke describes as a Belgian hospitality icon and argues that Belgian icons should remain in Belgian hands, a framing highlighted by and De Morgen. It presents the deal as stewardship as much as investment: a domestic entrepreneur backing a familiar domestic brand rather than selling it to an international restaurant group.
The owners’ perspective is more practical. Thevelin and Dobbelaere have already pursued modernisation and the opening, and their continued participation suggests that growth is meant to build on their existing strategy. For them, preserving the atmosphere and recognisable offer is inseparable from expansion. Opening annually, however, will require repeatable kitchens, reliable supply chains and consistent staffing without making each restaurant feel interchangeable.
also carries institutional responsibilities typical of a growing food business. ’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain temporarily closed the and restaurants in 2018 after hygiene inspections, VRT NWS reported at the time. The agency said there was no immediate danger to consumers, but that food safety could not then be guaranteed. The episode predates both the current owners and ’s investment, yet it illustrates why professional systems matter when a restaurant concept expands across several cities.
The transaction fits Coucke’s broader preference for businesses linked to leisure, tourism and recognisable Belgian experiences. VRT NWS has documented investments ranging from Pairi Daiza and RSC Anderlecht to tourism activities in Durbuy. is smaller and more everyday than those assets, but it follows the same broad logic: invest in a brand with strong public recognition and use capital to increase its reach.
This remains a Belgian business story rather than an EU or international development. No Belgian minister, regional government or EU institution has announced a role or response, and none would ordinarily be expected for a private restaurant acquisition of this size. Its wider significance lies in the recurring European hospitality dilemma of how to scale a locally rooted concept without stripping away the character that made it valuable.
Attention now moves to the launch and to the first location chosen under ’s annual-opening plan. Customers will judge the partnership less by the ownership structure than by prices, food quality and whether the familiar experience survives. Until financial terms, future sites and performance targets are published, the ambition is clear but the economics of the expansion remain unknown.
Impact
Regional — The immediate footprint covers Flanders and Brussels: two restaurants in Ghent and one each in Antwerp, Kruisem and Brussels, followed by a planned Bruges opening in autumn 2026.
Local — Amadeus already has a footprint in Ghent, Antwerp, Kruisem and Brussels, making the investment directly relevant to diners and hospitality workers in those cities. The clearest near-term change is in Bruges, where a sixth restaurant is scheduled to open in autumn 2026. The partners then aim to add an average of one restaurant annually, although no further locations have been announced. Existing customers should initially expect continuity because the current owners remain involved and the partners say they want to retain the established concept and affordable positioning.
What it means for you
Customers do not need to take immediate action: no restaurant closures, menu changes or price increases have been announced, and the existing owners remain involved. Diners in Bruges can watch for the planned opening in autumn 2026; an exact date and location have not been provided. People seeking hospitality work may want to monitor Amadeus and local recruitment channels as that opening approaches. Regular customers should compare future menu prices and conditions with the current fixed-price formula, since the commitment to remain affordable has not been accompanied by specific price guarantees. Further annual openings remain targets rather than confirmed locations.
Opposing perspectives
- Alychlo and Marc Coucke: expansion with Belgian ownership
Coucke presents Amadeus as a Belgian hospitality icon worth keeping in Belgian hands. Alychlo’s position is that capital and scaling experience can support approximately one new restaurant per year while leaving the concept and affordable positioning intact.
- Thevelin and Dobbelaere: continuity through operational stewardship
The existing owners’ continued involvement puts the emphasis on gradual professionalisation rather than reinvention. Their perspective centres on preserving the recognisable atmosphere and offer while improving kitchens and making growth operationally sustainable.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Home market of Amadeus and the geographic focus of its planned expansion.
City where Amadeus was founded in 1987 and currently operates two restaurants.
City containing one of Amadeus’s five existing restaurants.
City containing one of Amadeus’s five existing restaurants.
Belgian entrepreneur whose family investment company acquired a majority stake in Amadeus.
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Belgian entrepreneur whose family investment company acquired a majority stake in Amadeus.
Amadeus co-owner and manager who will remain involved after the transaction.
Amadeus co-owner and manager who will remain involved after the transaction.
Home market of Amadeus and the geographic focus of its planned expansion.
City where Amadeus was founded in 1987 and currently operates two restaurants.
City containing one of Amadeus’s five existing restaurants.
City containing one of Amadeus’s five existing restaurants.
Municipality containing one of Amadeus’s five existing restaurants.
City where Amadeus plans to open its sixth restaurant in autumn 2026.
Transaction through which Alychlo acquired a majority stake in the restaurant chain.
Marc Coucke’s family investment company and the new majority shareholder in Amadeus.
Belgian spare-ribs restaurant chain at the centre of the majority-stake acquisition.
Belgian newspaper reporting on Alychlo’s acquisition of Amadeus.
Brussels media outlet reporting on Marc Coucke’s investment in Amadeus.
Belgian newspaper reporting on the deal and the partners’ continuity plans.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceDe StandaardPrimaryprimary· standaard.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceBRUZZcorroborating· bruzz.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceHet Nieuwsbladcorroborating· nieuwsblad.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceVRT NWShistorical· vrt.be· 22 August 2018Retrieved 24 August 2026· 2963 days ago· Background / context
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.