| REGISTERED NUMBER: |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| STRATEGIC REPORT, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND |
| AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| REGISTERED NUMBER: |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| STRATEGIC REPORT, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND |
| AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| Page |
| Company Information | 1 |
| Strategic Report | 2 |
| Report of the Director | 4 |
| Report of the Independent Auditors | 6 |
| Statement of Comprehensive Income | 10 |
| Balance Sheet | 11 |
| Statement of Changes in Equity | 12 |
| Cash Flow Statement | 13 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 14 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| COMPANY INFORMATION |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| DIRECTOR: |
| SECRETARIES: |
| Kerry Secretarial Services Limited |
| REGISTERED OFFICE: |
| REGISTERED NUMBER: |
| SENIOR STATUTORY AUDITOR: |
| AUDITORS: |
| Statutory Auditors |
| 7 St. Johns Road |
| Harrow |
| Middlesex |
| HA1 2EY |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| STRATEGIC REPORT |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| The director presents his strategic report for the year ended 31 December 2025. |
| REVIEW OF BUSINESS |
| Simon Toft (the franchisee) is the Sole Director of the company, which is a franchise operator of McDonald's restaurants (the franchisor), the market leader in the quick service restaurant (QSR) market. The company, in common with all franchisee restaurants, pays to its franchisor a Service Fee and Rent based on a % of net Sales that is variable for each restaurant. |
| The company operates three Drive Thru restaurants located in Greater Manchester with a customer base split across Drive Thru, Instore (dine-in) and Home Delivery food and drink orders. Home Delivery orders are placed by and delivered to customers via Third Party Operators (3PO). The relationship and oversight of the 3PO's is managed centrally by the franchisor on behalf of their franchise operators. |
| The business in line with the informal eating out market experienced a negative start to the 2025 year particularly Q1, however, careful menu board management combined with various customer centric promotions proved highly successful in the second half the year resulting in an improved performance, which went someway to offsetting increases in new employer taxes introduced in April 2025. |
| The business continued its operations throughout 2025 recording turnover of £15.6 million, which is an increase over the prior year (2024: £14.9 million). |
| Due to the uplift in revenue, the company recorded gross profit of £6.6 million, an increase from £6.2 million in 2024, and profit before tax increased to £425,586 (2024: £26,000); reflecting the success of the menu management and customer centric promotions. |
| Net assets as at 31 December 2025 were £443,000, up from £202,000 in 2024, in line with the increased profitability for the year. |
| Management remains committed to delivering a high-quality customer experience, maintaining compliance with McDonald's operational standards and driving long-term sustainability in performance. Operational improvements and localised marketing campaigns have contributed positively to customer traffic, but cost pressures continue to challenge net margins. |
| PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES |
| The Company faces a number of risks and uncertainties which could impact its performance. The Directors monitor these on an ongoing basis and seek to mitigate them wherever possible: |
| 1. Economic Environment: Macroeconomic conditions, particularly inflation and consumer discretionary spending, can directly impact sales. A prolonged downturn could reduce footfall and average transaction values. |
| 2. Cost Inflation: Increasing costs in wages (linked to National Living Wage rises) and Employer NI rises that will flow through the full year 2026 and other Employer Legislation Obligations effective from April 2026 onwards may also pose significant pressure on margins. Energy and raw materials continue to pose significant pressure on margins. Labour availability remains a particular challenge in the hospitality sector. |
| 3. Regulatory and Compliance Risks: As a McDonald's franchisee, the Company must adhere to stringent operational and compliance standards. Any deviation could result in reputational damage or loss of franchise rights. |
| 4. Competition and Consumer Trends: The Company operates in a highly competitive market. Changes in consumer preferences or new competitors entering the local market could affect demand. |
| 5. Operational Risks: These include risks associated with restaurant-level performance, staffing, equipment failures, and health and safety incidents. The Company places strong emphasis on training, safety compliance, and preventative maintenance. |
| 6. Energy costs: Whilst the company had mitigated energy costs by the franchisors collective strategy of hedging forward purchase rates, which would have resulted in a reduction to flat costs outlook in 2026. This is now likely to increase energy costs by plus 3% - 5% due to an increase in the non-commodities element of our energy bills, which already represents 60% of the overall charge, as result of unexpected government announcements on increased contribution for charges to upgrade the UK network and the go ahead for Sizewell B nuclear power station, which will start to flow through to energy bills from Q2 onwards. |
| 7. Middle East: The other unknown is the current (at time of writing March / April 2026) middle east situation, which will almost certainly affect some supplier costs into the business. Whilst the business will look at mitigations it unlikely these will be able to fully offset any inflationary pressures if the situation is prolonged and will result in cost increases that obviously affects every business in the sector and consumer habits. |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| STRATEGIC REPORT |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS) |
| The Directors use a number of financial and operational KPIs to monitor performance. The key indicators for the year were as follows: |
| 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ |
| EBITDA | £793,146 | £533,014 |
| GP % | 42.41% | 41.53% |
| FUTURE DEVELOPMENT |
| The Company remains cautiously optimistic about 2026. While economic and operational headwinds persist-specifically regarding energy costs and related supply chain pressures driven by the ongoing situation in the Middle East-management is also closely monitoring government policy toward the UK hospitality sector, particularly any legislative changes that could further increase employer staffing costs. |
| Notwithstanding these concerns, the Company has committed to developing one of its existing sites during 2026. This project will increase capacity, enhance operational functionality for staff, and elevate the overall customer experience. The Director and senior management team will continue to explore opportunities to improve operational efficiency and drive growth, both within the current restaurant portfolio and through potential expansion should any opportunities arise. |
| ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| The director presents his report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 December 2025. |
| DIVIDENDS |
| An interim dividend of £3.15 (2024 - £2.86) per share was paid during the reporting period. The director recommends that no final dividend be paid. |
| The total interim dividends for the year ended 31 December 2025 was £70,810 (2024 - £64,458). |
| DIRECTOR |
| DONATIONS |
| The company made voluntary donations of £6,297 (2024: £5,784) to Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC) of at least 0.04% of sales turnover and supports other related charitable and local community events as part of our corporate social responsibility commitment. |
| Additional £2,249 (2024: £4,940) were also made to Ronald McDonald House Charities to support various fund raising events. |
| EMPLOYEES |
| The company operates non-discriminatory employment policies which are designed to attract, retain and motivate the very best people, recognising that this can only be achieved through offering equal opportunities regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, colour, nationality, marital status and sexual orientation. |
| Applications for employment by disabled persons are always fully considered, bearing in mind the respective aptitudes and abilities of the applicant concerned. |
| In the event of members of staff becoming disabled, every effort is made to ensure that their employment with the company continues and that appropriate facilities are available and training is arranged. It is the policy of the company that the training, career development and promotion of a disabled person should, as far as possible, be identical to that of a person who does not suffer from a disability. |
| Staff are encouraged to plan their careers within the group and to participate in appropriate ongoing training, consistent with the needs of the business. |
| Restaurants develop their own internal communications and employees receive regular updates on the company strategies, policies and results. |
| The company has taken appropriate steps during the financial year to introduce, maintain, or develop arrangements aimed at consulting employees or their representatives on a regular basis so that the views of employees can be taken into account in making decisions that are likely to affect their interests. |
| Our success is due to the teamwork and co-operation of the people within the group. The director thanks all those who have worked so hard and contributed so much to achieve these results during a demanding time. The company continues to develop and maintain a culture which encourages long service and we are proud that so many employees choose to remain with us over many years. |
| STATEMENT OF DIRECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES |
| The director is responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Report of the Director and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. |
| Company law requires the director to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the director has elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'. Under company law the director must not approve the financial statements unless he is satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the director is required to: |
| - | select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; |
| - | make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; |
| - | prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business. |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| STATEMENT OF DIRECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES - continued |
| The director is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable him to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. He is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. |
| STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS |
| So far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and he has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information. |
| AUDITORS |
| The auditors, MCA Audit Limited, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. |
| ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
| REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| Opinion |
| We have audited the financial statements of AOJ Restaurants Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2025 which comprise the Statement of Comprehensive Income, Balance Sheet, Statement of Changes in Equity, Cash Flow Statement and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). |
| In our opinion the financial statements: |
| - | give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 December 2025 and of its profit for the year then ended; |
| - | have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and |
| - | have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. |
| Basis for opinion |
| We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. |
| Conclusions relating to going concern |
| In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the director's use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. |
| Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. |
| Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the director with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. |
| Other information |
| The director is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Director, but does not include the financial statements and our Report of the Auditors thereon. |
| Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. |
| In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. |
| Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 |
| In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: |
| - | the information given in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Director for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and |
| - | the Strategic Report and the Report of the Director have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. |
| Matters on which we are required to report by exception |
| In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Report of the Director. |
| We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: |
| - | adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or |
| - | the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or |
| - | certain disclosures of director's remuneration specified by law are not made; or |
| - | we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. |
| REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| Responsibilities of director |
| As explained more fully in the Statement of Director's Responsibilities set out on pages four and five, the director is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the director determines necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. |
| In preparing the financial statements, the director is responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the director either intends to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so. |
| REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements |
| Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. |
| The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: |
| We designed procedures in line with our responsibilities outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. |
| We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our: general commercial and sector experience; through verbal and written communications with those charged with governance and other management; and via inspection of the company's regulatory and legal correspondence. |
| We discussed with those charged with governance and other management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations. |
| We communicated identified laws and regulations to our team and remained alert to any indicators of non-compliance throughout the audit, we also specifically considered where and how fraud may occur within the company. |
| The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably. |
| Firstly, the company is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements, including: the company's constitution, relevant financial reporting standards; company law; tax legislation and distributable profits legislation and we assess the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items. |
| Secondly the company is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on the amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines and penalties, or through losses arising from litigations. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: laws and regulations relevant to employment legislation; health and safety legislation; data protection legislation; anti-bribery and corruption legislation. |
| International Auditing Standards (UK) limit the required procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations, and no procedures over and above those already noted are required. These limited procedures did not identify any actual or suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations that could have a material impact on the financial statements. |
| In relation to fraud, we performed the following specific procedures in addition to those already noted: |
| - Challenging assumptions made by management in its significant accounting estimates; |
| - Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular any entries posted with unusual nominal ledger account combinations, journal entries crediting cash or any revenue account, and journal entries posted by senior management; |
| - Performing analytical procedures to identify unexpected movements in account balances which may be indicative of fraud; and |
| - Ensuring that testing undertaken on both the performance statement and the Balance Sheet includes a number of items selected on a random basis. |
| These procedures did not identify any actual or suspected fraudulent irregularity that could have a material impact on the financial statements. |
| Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with International Auditing Standards (UK). For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the procedures that we are required to undertake would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remains a high risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these might involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentation, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance with laws and regulations or fraud, and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations or every incidence of fraud. |
| A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Auditors. |
| REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
| Use of our report |
| This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in a Report of the Auditors and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. |
| for and on behalf of |
| Statutory Auditors |
| 7 St. Johns Road |
| Harrow |
| Middlesex |
| HA1 2EY |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| Notes | £ | £ |
| TURNOVER | 3 |
| Cost of sales |
| GROSS PROFIT |
| Administrative expenses |
| 443,484 | 71,385 |
| Other operating income |
| OPERATING PROFIT | 5 |
| Interest receivable and similar income |
| 463,785 | 100,646 |
| Interest payable and similar expenses | 6 |
| PROFIT BEFORE TAXATION |
| Tax on profit | 7 |
| PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR |
| OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | - | - |
| TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| BALANCE SHEET |
| 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| FIXED ASSETS |
| Intangible assets | 9 |
| Tangible assets | 10 |
| Investments | 11 |
| CURRENT ASSETS |
| Stocks | 12 |
| Debtors | 13 |
| Cash at bank and in hand |
| CREDITORS |
| Amounts falling due within one year | 14 |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS/(LIABILITIES) | ( |
) |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
| CREDITORS |
| Amounts falling due after more than one year | 15 | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES | 17 | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| NET ASSETS |
| CAPITAL AND RESERVES |
| Called up share capital | 18 |
| Capital redemption reserve | 19 |
| Retained earnings | 19 |
| SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS |
| The financial statements were approved by the director and authorised for issue on |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| Called up | Capital |
| share | Retained | redemption | Total |
| capital | earnings | reserve | equity |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Balance at 1 January 2024 |
| Changes in equity |
| Dividends | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) |
| Total comprehensive income | - |
| Balance at 31 December 2024 |
| Changes in equity |
| Dividends | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) |
| Total comprehensive income | - |
| Balance at 31 December 2025 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| CASH FLOW STATEMENT |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| Notes | £ | £ |
| Cash flows from operating activities |
| Cash generated from operations | 20 |
| Interest paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Tax paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Net cash from operating activities |
| Cash flows from investing activities |
| Purchase of intangible fixed assets | ( |
) |
| Purchase of tangible fixed assets | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Sale of tangible fixed assets |
| Interest received |
| Net cash from investing activities | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Cash flows from financing activities |
| Loan repayments in year | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Equity dividends paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Net cash from financing activities | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Increase in cash and cash equivalents |
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year |
21 |
1,368,828 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | 21 | 1,750,643 | 1,479,732 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 1. | STATUTORY INFORMATION |
| AOJ Restaurants Limited is a |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
| Basis of preparing the financial statements |
| Going concern basis |
| The directors have assessed the company's ability to continue as a going concern and have considered the company's financial position, cash flow forecasts and available resources for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements. |
| The company reported a profit after taxation for the year ended 31 December 2025 and, at that date, had net assets and significant cash balances. The directors have reviewed forecasts and projections, taking into account anticipated trading performance and reasonably possible changes in market conditions, and are satisfied that the company will be able to meet its liabilities as they fall due. |
| Based on this assessment, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The directors have not identified any material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements. The company therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements. |
| Turnover |
| Turnover is measured as the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding discounts, rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes. |
| Sale of goods |
| The company operates a number of restaurants for the sale of a range of branded products. Sales of goods are recognised on sale to the customer, which is considered the point of delivery. Sales are usually by cash, credit or payment card. |
| Intangible assets |
| Intangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses. |
| Amortisation is calculated, using the straight-line method, to allocate the depreciable amount of the assets to their residual values over their estimated useful lives, as follows: |
| - | Acquired rights and licenses | - 10% on cost |
| Amortisation is included in administrative expenses in the profit and loss account. |
| Where factors, such as technological advancement or changes in market price, indicate that residual value or useful life have changed, the residual value, useful life or amortisation rate are amended prospectively to reflect the new circumstances. |
| The assets are reviewed for impairment if the above factors indicate that the carrying amount may be impaired. |
| Patents & licences |
| Patents & licences are amortised over their useful life of 20 years. |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Tangible fixed assets |
| Tangible fixed assets are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management. |
| Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives, using either a straight line or reducing balance method, as indicated below. |
| Depreciation is provided on the following basis: |
| - | Improvements to leasehold property | - straight line over seven years |
| - | Plant and machinery | - straight line over three to ten years |
| - | Fixtures and fittings | - straight line over three to seven years |
| - | Computer equipment | - straight line over three to seven years |
| The assets' residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted prospectively if appropriate, or if there is an indication of a significant change since the last reporting date. |
| Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognised in profit or loss. |
| Investments |
| Investments are stated at historical cost less any accumulated impairment losses. |
| Stocks |
| Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost is based on the cost of purchase on a first in, first out basis. |
| At each reporting date, stocks are assessed for impairment. If stock is impaired, the carrying amount is reduced to its selling price less costs to complete and sell. The impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss. |
| Financial instruments |
| The company only enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other debtors and creditors, loans from banks and other third parties, loans to related parties and investments in non-puttable ordinary shares. |
| Financial assets that are measured at cost and amortised cost are assessed at the end of each reporting period for objective evidence of impairment. If objective evidence of impairment is found, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss. |
| Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the balance sheet when there is an enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. |
| a) Debtors |
| Basic financial assets, including trade and other debtors, are initially recognised at transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Such assets are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment. |
| b) Creditors |
| Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other creditors, loans from third parties and loans from related parties, are initially recognised at transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Such instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment. |
| c) Cash at bank |
| Cash and bank balances are initially recognised at transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Such assets are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment. Cash and bank balances are represented by cash in hand, deposits held at call with financial institutions, and other short-term highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with insignificant risk of change in value. |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Taxation |
| The tax expense for the year comprises current and deferred tax. |
| Tax is recognised in profit or loss except that a change attributable to an item of income and expense recognised as other comprehensive income or to an item recognised directly in equity is also recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity respectively. |
| Deferred tax balances are recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed by the balance sheet date, except that: |
| - | the recognition of deferred tax assets is limited to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits; and |
| - | any deferred tax balances are reversed if and when all conditions for retaining associated tax allowances have been met. |
| Both current and deferred tax is determined using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. |
| Operating leases |
| Leases that do not transfer all the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as operating leases. Payments under operating leases are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. |
| Pension costs |
| The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate. |
| 3. | TURNOVER |
| The turnover and profit before taxation are attributable to the one principal activity of the company. |
| An analysis of turnover by class of business is given below: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| An analysis of turnover by geographical market is given below: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| United Kingdom |
| 4. | EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Wages and salaries |
| Social security costs |
| Other pension costs |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 4. | EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS - continued |
| The average number of employees during the year was as follows: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| Administrative staff | 18 | 17 |
| Restaurants crew members | 289 | 329 |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Director's remuneration |
| Director's pension contributions to money purchase schemes |
| 5. | OPERATING PROFIT |
| The operating profit is stated after charging: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Other operating leases |
| Depreciation - owned assets |
| Loss on disposal of fixed assets |
| Patents and licences amortisation |
| Auditors' remuneration |
| 6. | INTEREST PAYABLE AND SIMILAR EXPENSES |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Bank interest |
| 7. | TAXATION |
| Analysis of the tax charge |
| The tax charge on the profit for the year was as follows: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Current tax: |
| UK corporation tax |
| Priors year under/(over) provn | - | 4,075 |
| Total current tax |
| Deferred tax | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Tax on profit |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 7. | TAXATION - continued |
| Reconciliation of total tax charge included in profit and loss |
| The tax assessed for the year is higher than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK. The difference is explained below: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Profit before tax |
| Profit multiplied by the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of - |
| Effects of: |
| Depreciation in excess of capital allowances |
| Adjustments to tax charge in respect of previous periods |
| Tax rate adjustment | - | 5,352 |
| Deferred taxation movement | (29,302 | ) | (89,655 | ) |
| Total tax charge | 113,702 | 1,653 |
| Factors that may affect future tax charges |
| Tax rate changes |
| Changes to the UK corporation tax rates were substantively enacted as part of Finance Act 2021 on 24 May 2021 (Royal Assent received on 10 June 2021). These include increasing the main rate of tax from 19% to 25% from 1 April 2023 on profits over £250,000. |
| Deferred taxes at the balance sheet date have been measured using these enacted tax rates and reflected in these financial statements. |
| Deferred tax |
| Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are only recognised when it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. |
| 8. | DIVIDENDS |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Ordinary shares of £1 each |
| Interim |
| 9. | INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
| Patents and |
| Goodwill | licences | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ |
| COST |
| At 1 January 2025 |
| and 31 December 2025 |
| AMORTISATION |
| At 1 January 2025 |
| Amortisation for year |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| At 31 December 2024 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 10. | TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
| Fixtures |
| Improvements | Plant and | and | Computer |
| to property | machinery | fittings | equipment | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| COST |
| At 1 January 2025 |
| Additions |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| DEPRECIATION |
| At 1 January 2025 |
| Charge for year |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| At 31 December 2024 |
| 11. | FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS |
| Unlisted |
| investments |
| £ |
| COST |
| At 1 January 2025 |
| and 31 December 2025 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 31 December 2025 |
| At 31 December 2024 |
| 12. | STOCKS |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Stocks |
| 13. | DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Trade debtors |
| Prepayments and accrued income |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 14. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Bank loans (see note 16) |
| Trade creditors |
| Tax |
| Social security and other taxes |
| VAT | 495,131 | 430,790 |
| Other creditors |
| Other creditors - donations | 798 | 1,200 |
| Accruals and deferred income |
| 15. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Bank loans (see note 16) |
| 16. | LOANS |
| An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below: |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Amounts falling due within one year or on demand: |
| Bank loans |
| Amounts falling due between two and five years: |
| Bank loans - 2-5 years |
| 17. | PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Deferred tax | 31,332 | 60,634 |
| Deferred tax |
| £ |
| Balance at 1 January 2025 |
| Depreciation in excess of |
| capital allowances | (29,302 | ) |
| Balance at 31 December 2025 |
| 18. | CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL |
| Allotted, issued and fully paid: |
| Number: | Class: | Nominal | 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| value: | £ | £ |
| Ordinary | £1 | 22,500 | 22,500 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 19. | RESERVES |
| Capital |
| Retained | redemption |
| earnings | reserve | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ |
| At 1 January 2025 | 179,219 |
| Profit for the year | - |
| Dividends | ( |
) | - | ( |
) |
| At 31 December 2025 | 420,293 |
| 20. | RECONCILIATION OF PROFIT BEFORE TAXATION TO CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATIONS |
| 31.12.25 | 31.12.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Profit before taxation |
| Depreciation charges |
| Loss on disposal of fixed assets |
| Finance costs | 38,199 | 74,587 |
| Finance income | (20,301 | ) | (21,408 | ) |
| 793,146 | 586,579 |
| Decrease/(increase) in stocks | ( |
) |
| Decrease in trade and other debtors |
| Increase in trade and other creditors |
| Cash generated from operations |
| 21. | CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS |
| The amounts disclosed on the Cash Flow Statement in respect of cash and cash equivalents are in respect of these Balance Sheet amounts: |
| Year ended 31 December 2025 |
| 31.12.25 | 1.1.25 |
| £ | £ |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,750,643 | 1,479,732 |
| Year ended 31 December 2024 |
| 31.12.24 | 1.1.24 |
| £ | £ |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,479,732 | 1,368,828 |
| AOJ RESTAURANTS LIMITED (REGISTERED NUMBER: 06816033) |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 |
| 22. | ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS |
| At 1.1.25 | Cash flow | At 31.12.25 |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Net cash |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 1,479,732 | 270,911 | 1,750,643 |
| 1,479,732 | 1,750,643 |
| Debt |
| Debts falling due within 1 year | (412,657 | ) | 100,816 | (311,841 | ) |
| Debts falling due after 1 year | (502,066 | ) | 339,096 | (162,970 | ) |
| (914,723 | ) | 439,912 | (474,811 | ) |
| Total | 565,009 | 710,823 | 1,275,832 |