Leeds-based Asian street food brand Little Bao Boy has been acquired by Sessions, the growth platform for restaurant brands, in a deal that keeps founder James Ooi involved with a minority holding. The brand, founded in 2016 in a home kitchen in Leeds, has been the best-selling Deliveroo menu in the city since 2020, outperforming high-street chains.
From Leeds home kitchen to national franchise
Little Bao Boy was created by James Ooi, who built a loyal following with bold Asian flavours and a modern street-food approach. The company has a strong social media presence, with nearly 100,000 Instagram followers. Sessions first partnered with Little Bao Boy in 2021, taking the brand to London through pop-ups, and has now expanded it nationally, reaching customers from Plymouth to Durham and locations across Scotland.
The partnership has allowed Little Bao Boy to gain immediate reach across the UK by offering its blueprint to Sessions' delivery kitchen partners. The delivery-first strategy and digitally-led presence have enabled the brand to deliver more than 340,000 orders to date, with a 431% year-on-year growth.
Acquisition details and future plans
Following the acquisition, Sessions aims to continue expanding the brand nationally, grow franchising, and take Little Bao Boy international. Dan Warne, founder of Sessions, said: “Having worked with Little Bao Boy for five years, we’re excited to enter this new chapter in our relationship with the team. It’s been a hugely successful partnership so far and we can’t wait to take this brand even further.”
Warne added: “We see acquisitions as a continued partnership where we want founders to continue to be involved in their brands - this is a core part of our model. As such, James Ooi, the founder of Little Bao Boy, will maintain a minority holding in the brand to support creative and culinary development and share in the future upside growth delivered through the Sessions platform.”
Founder's perspective and Sessions portfolio
James Ooi said: “Our relationship with Sessions so far has been brilliant. As founders, they listen to our stories, uphold our brand guidelines to the highest regard, and always make sure important decisions are signed off by us. The last five years have been hugely exciting for us, taking us from Leeds to a national franchise, and it’s incredible that they have now acquired the brand, offering us an exit from the business, whilst we can continue to have creative input and offer culinary development for Little Bao Boy.”
Little Bao Boy joins SoBe Burger and Mikos Gyros as brands that have been acquired by Sessions. The acquisition showcases Sessions' model for food brands seeking an exit strategy, and the platform is actively looking to acquire additional food brands, whether existing partners, small food businesses looking to scale, or legacy multi-site operators.
