BrewDog this week opened what it claims is the world’s first non-alcoholic beer bar—the BrewDog AF Bar at the Bower development on Old Street. It will have 15 taps of alcohol-free beer, including two new BrewDog brews, and is launching with an unlimited refill offer. More alcohol-free bars could follow if the pilot is successful.
The Potting Shed bar and restaurant brand has applied for permission to open a new branch in Macclesfield, local media report. The Potting Shed has six other locations in the north of England, in Beverley, Bingley, Guiseley, Halifax, Northallerton and Southport.
Four new restaurant brands have been confirmed for openings at the Merrion Centre in Leeds. They include Domino’s, burger operator Frankster’s and two concepts from the Hang Sing Hong Oriental supermarket group, Oba Kitchen and Mi’s.
Pizza Pilgrims will open its latest new restaurant on Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria on Monday (13 January). It is the group’s 12th restaurant in all.
Manchester brewery Seven Bro7hers has opened a new beerhouse by the canal at Salford’s Middlewood Locks development.
Loungers plans to open a new bar and restaurant called Ponto Lounge in Hull, according to local media. The company has submitted plans to convert an empty retail unit on King Edward Street in the city. Loungers has also just secured the go-ahead to open in an old retail unit in Wolverhampton.
Indian street food style group Mowgli says it will open a restaurant on Boar Lane in Leeds in March. It has been seeking the right place to open in Leeds for four years. Mowgli has meanwhile just opened its latest new restaurant in Bristol.
JD Wetherspoon has submitted a licensing application for its new pub in Diss in Norfolk, local media report. Work on the two-storey pub on the site of an old car park is due to start soon.
Caravan opened a new coffeeshop in a tie-up with the Savoy Hotel in London this week. It has taken over the hotel’s Melba coffee store on Savoy Court by the Strand.
Zia Lucia is planning to open a third pizza restaurant at Aldgate in the City in February. Zia Lucia’s other sites are in Islington and Hammersmith, and it also has a pasta restaurant in Islington and a pizza operation within the food court at Boxpark Wembley.
Nottinghamshire-based Great Northern Group is opening a Waterside Bar + Kitchen concept at the Waterside Apartment development in West Bridgford in Nottingham in mid-February.
Hertfordshire brewery McMullen & Sons is building a new pub at Campbell Wharf, a residential marina development near Milton Keynes. It should be open in the autumn.
Two independent south London restaurants have signed to open new premises at Elephant Park, the £2.3bn regeneration scheme from Lendlease and Southwark Council. Ecuadorian restaurant Miko’s will move there from the Elephant & Castle shopping centre, while Lebanese concept Bayroot will open a second restaurant to go alongside its Camberwell site. Both restaurants are due to open in the spring. Another restaurant, pan-Asian Pot & Rice, will join the line-up at Elephant Park later in January.
Sushi roll and bowl concept Sushi Dog will open at Tower Street in Covent Garden in the spring. It is a first permanent site for the operator, which has previously traded as a street food venture, including at a kiosk at the Westfield London centre.
The Hertfordshire-based Lussmanns fish and grill group is opening on Little Clarendon Street in Oxford next week. It has taken over a unit that was previously occupied by Carluccio’s.
Soho pasta bar Pastaio opened its second restaurant at Westfield White City in London this week.
The Hull-based restaurant and bar group Shoot the Bull is to open on Low Petergate in York. It will be its fifth location, following three in Hull and one in Harrogate.
