Plans for a new Boxpark at Wembley Park have been approved by the London Borough of Brent. The site will cover 2,000 square metres and will be home to nearly 30 independent operators when it opens later this year. The first two Boxparks are in Shoreditch and Croydon. Boxpark chief executive Roger Wade said: “We are looking forward to working closely with our development partner Quintain, Brent Council and Wembley Park stakeholders Wembley Stadium, SSE Arena and London Designer Outlet to deliver a world class fan village and street food destination.”
Vapiano has announced it will launch three new London sites this year—at the Centre Point development on Tottenham Court Road, One Tower Bridge and Cabot Square in Canary Wharf. The 280-cover Centre Point venue will be the first to launch, followed by the 310-cover Tower Bridge and 280-cover Canary Wharf restaurants in the summer. The openings will bring Vapiano’s UK estate to nine by the end of the year. More new openings are expected to be announced soon. Managing director Phil Sermon said: “We are incredibly proud to have secured these three impressive new sites, which underlines our strategy to both open in high profile, high footfall locations and continue to grow our exceptional business within the UK.”
The Midlands-based Bitters n Twisted group will open its fifth Bodega Cantina bar and restaurant in Sutton Coldfield on 5 March. The other Bodega sites are in Birmingham, Worcester, Derby and Leicester.
The Street Feast group of street food markets will open its fifth site in Woolwich on 2 March. Called Public, it will be open every Friday and Saturday. Operators joining at the launch include Yum Bun, Burger & Beyond, INK and Rust Rocket Pizza Co. There will be bars serving drinks including cocktails, craft beer and gin, and family-friendly areas.
BrewDog has announced plans for its first ever hotel by its headquarters in Aberdeenshire. The 26-room DogHouse hotel will open early next year. BrewDog co-founder James Watt said: “The idea of opening a beer hotel has always been high on our agenda, and now we are firmly able to realize that dream, right here at our HQ.”
Healthy fast food operator Leon is opening a new Thai concept called Tuk Shop—initially as a pop-up in one of its restaurants in April. It is a tie-up with the Thai food group run by chef David Thompson, and will offer Thai food including curries, noodles and salads.
Stonegate Pub Company opens a branch of its Popworld club and bar concept on Saturday (24 February). It becomes the 24th site for the Popworld brand, with another to follow in Nuneaton shortly.
Canadian coffeeshop brand Tim Hortons has launched is latest new site in Cardiff—its third site in the city and 15th in the UK.
The Peach Pub Company has taken on the Bear & Ragged Staff pub in Cumnor in Oxfordshire—its 19th venue. It will launch after a refurbishment on 8 March.
The team behind the Dirty Bones brand is trying out a new pop-up concept called Dirty Vegan at its Shoreditch restaurant. It will take over the restaurant on Monday 5 and 12 March.
Mitchells & Butlers has reopened its Harvester restaurant in Grantham as a Miller & Carter steakhouse.
US-style Randy’s Wing Bar, which launched in Hackney Wick in 2016 after previously running as a mobile and pop-up operation, has secured a lease for a second site on the Minories in Aldgate. The deal for the 56-cover restaurant was done by Savills.
Brunning & Price has launched the Old Courthouse pub and restaurant in Cheltenham. It has taken on a site previously run by Jamie’s Italian.
Catering company Tart London is to open its first permanent operation on Eccleston Yard in Belgravia in the summer. As well as a restaurant, it will have a retail element, events space and fashion photography studio. It will be called Eccleston Place by Tart London and will have on the go food as well a restaurant space. Co-founders Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones said: “It’s always been our dream to open a permanent site, and we couldn’t have thought of a better place than nestled in historic Eccleston Yard. This is more than a restaurant—we want to create that sense of warmth and home in busy central London with a light space that marries food, fashion, lifestyle and photography.”
French restaurant and deli La Ferme this week opened a second site on Regent’s Park Road in Primrose Hill. The 1,440 square feet site was previously occupied by Negozio Classica, and the deal was brokered by Shelley Sandzer. La Ferme launched its first restaurant in Farringdon.
