The Alchemist, the bar and restaurant group run by Living Ventures, has announced three new locations: in Oxford, Newcastle and Media City in Salford. Contracts have just been exchanged on the Oxford site, while work will begin in Newcastle soon ahead of a March launch. The Media City venue will follow in the summer. The openings will bring The Alchemist estate to 11, having opened three sites over 2016, in Liverpool, Birmingham and Alderley Edge. Managing director Simon Potts said: We are excited to be bringing our brand of mixology to these new locations and look forward to a busy 2017.”
New York restaurant and bar concept Jackson + Rye has just opened at Old Jewry near Bank station in the City. It is a fifth location for the brand, to go alongside Soho, Richmond, Kingston and Chiswick. It is launching with a special Thanksgiving menu. Jackson + Rye is on an expansion trail having been acquired by Cote.
The Azzurri group, parent to ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco di Mama, is backing the launch of a new pizza concept called Radio Alice in Hoxton Square in early December. The concept has been developed by Salvatore and Matteo Aloe, who run five pizzerias in Italy; and Gail’s co-founder Emma King. The concept has been named after an Italian pirate radio station.
Coffeeshop and bar concept Grind has opened its seventh location, on Old Street in Clerkenwell. The first six are in Shoreditch, Soho, Covent Garden, Holborn, Royal Exchange and London Bridge.
Pizza Express opened in Glossop in Derbyshire last Friday (11 November). The restaurant is in the town’s Howard Town shopping centre.
Turtle Bay is to open in Middlesbrough, on the site of a former Walkabout bar in the town centre.
Byron wants to open a new restaurant at the St David’s centre in Cardiff—its first location in Wales. It is awaiting approval for change of use plans for an empty unit.
Healthy on the go brand Abokado will open on Tottenham Court Road shortly. It will be its 29th site in all, with a 30th to follow close behind.
The Revolution Bars group opens its latest Revolucion de Cuba bar and restaurant in Aberdeen on Friday (18 November). Another Revolucion de Cuba follows in Reading next Thursday (24 November).
Wagamama has just made a major push into New York with an opening of a 7,000 square feet restaurant on Fifth Avenue, by Madison Square Park.
On the go Japanese concept Wasabi opened on Cornmarket Street in Oxford on Wednesday (17 November). The Oxford Mail reports that Leon is due to open in the same area in the next few weeks.
Lockhouse, a new all-day casual dining restaurant concept developed by Redcomb Pubs, will open by Grand Union Canal in Paddington on 14 December. It will have 180 covers across a 3,700 square feet bar, restaurant and mezzanine area, plus 70 more covers outside. Managing director Dan Shotton said: “These are exciting times for Redcomb as we scale up our programme of accelerated expansion and capitalise on new growth areas within Britain’s burgeoning casual dining sector. Our expansion into Central London adds to our already strong portfolio of hospitality businesses operating within the suburbs and home counties, and we continue to explore new areas of growth to further develop our business.”
Tom’s Kitchen, the casual concept developed by chef Tom Aikens, is to expand beyond London for the first time with an opening at the Mailbox in Birmingham. The 96-cover site will launch in the next few weeks, and joins five London sites.
Pan-Asian concept Inamo is opening in Camden in the next few weeks. It joins the first two Inamos in Soho and Covent Garden.
Welsh restaurant operator Dylan’s is to open a third location in Llandudno. It is taking over an old hotel on the seafront in the town and should launch in the spring. The restaurant will join sites in Menai Bridge on Anglesey and Criccieth in Gwynedd.
Growing steakhouse group Middletons has submitted a planning application for a new restaurant in Peterborough. The group was founded in King’s Lynn and has since opened in Norwich, Milton Keynes, Watford, Colchester and Leicester.
Greene King has secured approval for a new Farmhouse Inns site at the Woodhouse Park development in Nottingham.
A new Japanese concept called Onodera will open on the site of teppanyaki operation Matsuri St James on Bury Street in London. The switch by parent group LEOC, after 23 years running Matsuri, will create a 120-cover restaurant, due to open in the spring.
Featherblade, a new steakhouse concept selling just one cut of steak at a £10 set price, has opened on Brown Street in Manchester. It has been set up by the team behind Panama Hatty’s, which occupies the same premises.
Creams Café continue to seek new sites across the UK, you can view their property requirements here.
Italian coffee company Illy is seeking to expand in the Central and Greater London, target locations include Chelsea, Kings Cross and London Bridge. View their requirements here.
Grabthai, who currently have three units are looking for 350 – 1,000 sq.ft in City of London locations, view their target locations here.
Tapas Revolution are also looking to gain further representation in London and across the UK. Target cities outside of London include, Bath, Manchester and Cambridge. Click here for their property requirements.
