Marc Coucke takes majority stake in Amadeus as Belgian rib chain plans steady expansion
Marc Coucke’s investment company Alychlo has acquired a majority stake in Belgian restaurant chain Amadeus, while existing owners Marie Thevelin and Peter Dobbelaere remain involved. A sixth restaurant is due to open in Bruges in autumn 2026, followed by a target of roughly one new location a year.
The transaction could bring the recognisable Amadeus experience to more Belgian cities while testing whether a personality-driven restaurant concept can scale without losing its atmosphere, affordability or operational consistency. It also represents a notable expansion commitment in a hospitality market facing significant cost and staffing pressures.
’s investment company acquired a majority stake in Belgian ribs restaurant chain on 21 August 2026, giving the brand fresh capital for expansion while current owners and remain shareholders and continue running the business. For diners, the immediate practical takeaway is continuity rather than reinvention: the familiar all-you-can-eat ribs concept is staying, a sixth restaurant is scheduled to open in in autumn 2026, and the partners aim to add about one location a year thereafter.
VRT NWS reported that Coucke wants to preserve the formula and its accessible positioning rather than turn into a different kind of restaurant. The investment amount, ’s exact shareholding and the cities being considered after have not been disclosed. That makes this a clear change of ownership and growth capacity, but not yet a detailed national rollout plan.
## A Belgian restaurant ritual prepares to travel
began in in 1987 and built its identity around unlimited ribs, a baked potato and theatrical interiors filled with nostalgic objects. It currently operates five restaurants: two in Ghent and one each in , and . According to figures supplied by and reported by both VRT NWS and Brussels broadcaster BX1, the chain receives almost 400,000 customers a year.
The geographical spread matters. is not a standardised roadside chain; its restaurants are associated with distinctive central locations and elaborate décor. The branch gives international residents and EU staff an accessible encounter with a particularly Flemish form of convivial dining, while the and restaurants are woven more closely into their cities’ nightlife and visitor economies. The planned opening will test whether that combination of recognisable food, spectacle and informal abundance can work in ’s busiest heritage-tourism market without becoming merely another tourist formula.
Thevelin and Dobbelaere only took over from its original owners in 2023. Het Nieuwsblad reported at the time that they intended to retain the chain’s familiar character. Since then, they have concentrated on renovating and professionalising its kitchens, according to the new investment announcement. Their continued involvement is therefore important: is supplying financial weight, but the operators who have managed the recent transition remain responsible for the concept’s daily execution.
## Growth in a difficult hospitality market
Opening one restaurant a year sounds cautious beside the rapid franchising associated with international food brands. In ’s labour-intensive hospitality sector, however, even measured expansion requires suitable premises, trained staff, food-safety systems and disciplined purchasing. Statbel recorded 11,665 Belgian business bankruptcies in 2025, the highest annual total since 2013. Its figures also show substantial employment losses linked to hospitality failures, illustrating the difficult environment in which is choosing to grow.
That contrast is the broader business story. already has a recognised name, considerable customer volume and a repeatable core menu, all of which can make expansion less risky than launching an unfamiliar concept. also has experience investing in Belgian leisure and hospitality assets. Yet scaling a restaurant built partly on atmosphere is harder than reproducing a logo and recipe: each new site must feel individual enough to retain the brand’s charm while operating consistently enough to support a larger group.
The owners’ stated emphasis on affordability will be closely watched as food, wages, rent and energy costs evolve. Belgian hospitality businesses set their own prices, but the Federal Public Service Economy says menus must display the total price clearly, in euros and including VAT and mandatory charges. Diners should therefore check the current menu for the chosen branch rather than assume that older prices found in reviews or social-media posts still apply.
## What international residents should know
locations operate in ’s different language environments. Dutch is the main public language in , , and ; is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, while English is commonly understood in central hospitality venues but is not an official administrative language. When booking, diners should use the restaurant’s own current website or contact the branch directly to confirm opening hours, group arrangements and accessibility. Those details can differ by location and may change as the chain expands.
Anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions should ask the individual restaurant for its current allergen information before ordering. The unlimited-ribs offer is the defining product, so vegetarian, halal, kosher or other dietary needs should not be assumed to be covered simply because alternatives may appear on a menu. ’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, known as FAVV in Dutch and AFSCA in French, also provides a public Food Hygiene Rating search. Consumers can look up a restaurant by name and municipality — gemeente in Dutch, commune in French — to see registration details and the latest published basic hygiene-inspection result.
That official database is more useful than relying on an old online review. It reports establishment-specific information, meaning customers should search for the precise , , or unit rather than treat one branch’s result as applying automatically to the whole chain. New establishments, including the planned restaurant, may not show a completed inspection result immediately.
## Continuity is the promise; execution is the test
For Coucke and , the attraction is a Belgian brand with a simple proposition and room to expand domestically. For Thevelin and Dobbelaere, the partnership brings resources without requiring an immediate exit. For regular customers, the central question is whether greater scale can preserve the generous, idiosyncratic experience that made recognisable in the first place.
The next confirmed milestone is the opening in autumn 2026. After that, attention will turn to the location of the seventh restaurant, whether expansion remains company-owned or eventually includes franchise partners, and how prices and staffing develop. has announced an ambition of one new restaurant per year, not a binding timetable. Until further sites, budgets and dates are named, the most defensible reading is steady Belgian growth rather than a rush abroad.
Impact
Regional — The immediate impact is concentrated in Flanders and Brussels. Bruges is due to receive the sixth restaurant, while the existing network covers Ghent, Antwerp, Kruisem and Brussels. No Walloon opening has been announced.
Local — Bruges is the clearest immediate beneficiary, with an Amadeus restaurant scheduled to open there in autumn 2026. The expansion builds on an existing footprint of two Ghent locations and restaurants in Brussels, Antwerp and Kruisem. For diners, it adds another city where the chain’s established unlimited-ribs concept will be available. Further locations have not been identified, and no opening in Wallonia has been announced, so the near-term geographic impact remains concentrated in Flemish cities and Brussels.
What it means for you
Diners in or visiting Bruges can watch for the sixth Amadeus opening in autumn 2026; an exact opening date has not yet been announced. Customers at the five existing restaurants should not expect an immediate concept change, as the partners say they intend to retain the current formula and keep it affordable. No transaction price, new menu prices or future city list has been disclosed, so readers should check individual restaurant information before booking. Those outside the existing Flemish and Brussels network have no confirmed new local option yet.
Opposing perspectives
- Alychlo and Amadeus management
The investors and existing owners present the deal as a route to disciplined growth without changing the core experience. Their case is that additional capital and professional systems can support new restaurants while retaining the food, atmosphere and accessible positioning customers recognise.
- Regular diners attached to the existing formula
Long-standing customers may welcome new locations but judge the expansion by whether portions, service, pricing and distinctive interiors remain consistent. For this constituency, a larger footprint is valuable only if it does not turn an idiosyncratic Belgian institution into a generic chain.
- Belgian hospitality operators
Independent restaurateurs may see the investment as evidence that established brands with financial backing are better equipped to absorb rising labour, food, property and energy costs. The cautious target of one opening per year also underlines how operationally demanding restaurant expansion remains.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Country where Amadeus operates and plans to expand.
Region containing most current Amadeus locations and the announced Bruges opening.
City and region hosting one existing Amadeus restaurant.
City where Amadeus was founded in 1987 and where it operates two restaurants.
City hosting one existing Amadeus restaurant.
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Belgian entrepreneur whose investment company has acquired a majority stake in Amadeus.
Existing Amadeus owner who acquired the group in 2023 and remains involved after the investment.
Existing Amadeus owner who acquired the group in 2023 and remains involved after the investment.
Country where Amadeus operates and plans to expand.
Region containing most current Amadeus locations and the announced Bruges opening.
City and region hosting one existing Amadeus restaurant.
City where Amadeus was founded in 1987 and where it operates two restaurants.
City hosting one existing Amadeus restaurant.
City scheduled to receive the sixth Amadeus restaurant in autumn 2026.
Municipality hosting one existing Amadeus restaurant.
Belgian region where no Amadeus opening has been announced.
Marc Coucke’s private investment company and the new majority shareholder in Amadeus.
Belgian restaurant chain known for unlimited ribs and nostalgic interiors.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceVRT NWSPrimaryprimary· vrtnws.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceBX1corroborating· bx1.be· 24 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 39 days ago· Dated
- View sourceHet Nieuwsbladcorroborating· nieuwsblad.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceHet Nieuwsbladhistorical· nieuwsblad.be· 29 December 2023Retrieved 24 August 2026· 1008 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.