Manchester hospitality group Mission Mars has secured a new majority shareholder as investment holding company Fynveur takes control of the operator behind Rudy’s Napoletana and Albert’s Schloss, enabling existing investor BGF to exit after eight years.
Fynveur, which is owned by Artal and advised by Invus, has acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum. The completed transaction will support further expansion of Mission Mars’s two hospitality brands, which together operate 44 venues across the United Kingdom.
BGF first invested in Mission Mars in 2018, when the company operated two Manchester venues. Its investment supported the group’s development into a national hospitality operator, with Rudy’s Napoletana accounting for the larger restaurant estate and Albert’s Schloss operating a smaller number of large-format venues.
The exit generated a 3.75-times money multiple and an internal rate of return of 21% for BGF. These measures describe the financial performance of BGF’s investment over the holding period, rather than Mission Mars’s operating profitability or the annual revenue growth of its restaurants.
Rudy’s Napoletana specialises in Neapolitan-style pizza and has expanded from its Manchester origins into multiple regional cities. Albert’s Schloss has a different format, combining food, drink and live entertainment in large venues requiring a distinct approach to property selection and day-to-day operations.
Maintaining those two brands allows Mission Mars to pursue different segments of the hospitality market while retaining central management and development capabilities. Its expansion has involved establishing operations outside Manchester and building the infrastructure required to support a larger restaurant estate.
Mission Mars reports that five new venues opened during its 2026 financial year have traded ahead of expectations. Further openings are planned, including Rudy’s first Scottish location in Glasgow, extending the restaurant brand into another regional market.
The change in ownership is being supported by a debt facility provided by Santander, HSBC and NatWest, with Clearwater advising on the financing. The size and terms of the facility have not been publicly disclosed alongside the transaction.
Mission Mars’s existing management team will remain in place. Chief executive Roy Ellis continues to lead the company, providing continuity as Fynveur becomes the controlling investor and the group develops its next phase of restaurant expansion.
The company’s growth requires decisions about property, staffing, procurement and the capacity of central support functions. Restaurants are capital-intensive openings: premises must be secured and fitted out, employees recruited and trained, and supply arrangements established before a new location can begin trading.
For Rudy’s, expansion involves replicating an established restaurant format in markets with sufficient demand and suitable premises. Albert’s Schloss presents a different development proposition because its combination of hospitality and entertainment is delivered through a smaller number of larger locations.
The new investment also creates opportunities for Mission Mars to consider acquisitions alongside organic growth. Any further transactions would extend a business that has primarily expanded through the development of its established restaurant brands, although no additional acquisition has been confirmed as part of the ownership change.
BGF’s departure completes an investment that began when Mission Mars was concentrated in Manchester. The business now has a national footprint and an incoming majority shareholder, while its existing leadership team remains responsible for delivering planned openings and managing the expanded estate.
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