All-day coffee, café, bar and restaurant concept Caravan is to launch in Bloomberg Arcade in the City on 2 October. It will open on weekdays from 7am, evolving into a cocktail bar in the evenings, and will sell take-out as well as eat-in. The site is split across three levels with 180 covers in all, and there will be space for mobile workers and private dining and masterclasses. Co-founder Laura Harper-Hinton said: “We are super excited to be part of a dining revolution in the City of London. The new Bloomberg European headquarters with its carefully curated dining arcade is the perfect place for Caravan in the City.”
Novus is opening a second branch of its Tank & Paddle pizza-and-craft-beer concept in Bishopsgate. It is a 3,500 square feet unit with 120 covers, and is on the site of a former Rocket restaurant. The first Tank & Paddle launched on Mincing Lane in November. Novus chief executive Toby Smith said: “We have successfully spread our love of craft beer and everything it stands for… we look forward to amplifying this triumph by extending our craft culture to Bishopsgate and beyond.”
The Gusto brand will take its estate to 18 with an opening in Chislehurst in the next few weeks. It is the brand’s first launch in the south of England, and comes close behind a new opening in York. Managing director Sue Crimes said: “2017 has been incredibly exciting for Gusto and we are thrilled to be extending our brand to new areas. We’ve been overwhelmed with the positive response to our restaurants to date and can’t wait to hear the reception for our Chislehurst venue. It’s a great location for our clientele and at the heart of a growing food and drink scene in the area.”
Pho opened on King Street in Reading this week—its third new opening of the year. It has two more launches scheduled over the next couple of months: at High Cross in Leicester in mid-September and the Westgate shopping centre in Oxford in October.
Chopstix has reached the milestone of 70 restaurants with an opening at Midway in Ireland. It is the 12th new opening of 2017 for Chopstix, which has doubled in size over the last 18 months. The Midway launch continues a partnership with Ireland’s Applegreen services operator. Chief operating officer Max Hilton Jenvey said: “As our brand continues to go from strength to strength, we have much to celebrate with this new opening. There is undoubtedly much room for us to grow as a brand, and we intend to further build on our partnerships with Applegreen and other leading motorway services providers, to make Chopstix as visible on the nation’s roads as it is in the country’s high streets.”
Oakman Inns opened its 20th pub, the Anchor in Hullbridge, on Wednesday (16 August). The company is also working on a redevelopment of the Cherry Tree in Olney, which should open early next year, while planning permission has been granted for the development of the Royal Foresters in Ascot, which is likely to open in April. It will soon reopen two more pubs after refurbs—the Akeman in Tring and the Betsey Wynne in Swanbourne. Chief executive Peter Borg-Neal said of the Anchor openings: “This is a superb pub and a very exciting addition to the Oakman Inns group.”
A second Jamie Oliver’s Diner has opened at Gatwick airport. It is next to Jamie’s Deli in the South Terminal there, and joins the original Jamie Oliver’s Diner on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Franco Manca has opened on George Street in Oxford as it continues its expansion beyond London.
Nando’s is opening at Cobham Services off the M25 in the autumn. It is a second launch on the motorway service station network for the brand, joining one off the M40 near Beaconsfield.
Stonegate Pub Company opens its latest new Slug & Lettuce in Coventry next Thursday (24 August). It has taken over a unit previously run as Establishment Bar & Grill.
La Fromagerie will open its third unit on Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury on 11 September. As well as a shop, bar, café and private tasting room, it will run a restaurant operation from Thursday to Saturday evenings. The La Fromagerie brand launched in 1991, and already has sites in Marylebone and Highbury. Founder Patricia Michelson said: “We’ve been looking for a long time for a place that felt right for us. In Lambs Conduit Street, we have found a warm sense of community with a wonderful mix of shops and restaurants, alongside local businesses and residential.”
A new coffeeshop concept called Tab x Tab has opened in Westbourne Grove. It is selling pastries, cakes and light bites as well as speciality coffee. Founder Mathew Tabatabai, an ex-retail director at Alexander McQueen, said: “We have been on a real journey to create a space that encompasses our passions. Our love of quality coffee, delectable food and compelling conversation has led us to launch Tab x Tab as a lifestyle destination for like-minded people.”
Pizza Express has signed up to the new Tudno development in Llandudno, which should open in late 2019.
Tracks & Records, the Jamaican restaurant concept backed by athlete Usain Bolt, is to open in the UK under franchise. An agreement has been reached between Franjam and the SME group.
Liverpool’s pan-Asian restaurant Tiger Rock this week opened a second location in the city, on North John Street. It comes a year after the concept launched on Smithdown Road in Liverpool.
Chef James Cochran has opened the eponymous James Cochran N1 at Angel Central in Islington. The 2,100 square feet unit has 60 covers inside and 20 more on a terrace. Cochran already runs James Cochran EC3 in the City. Other restaurants including Wagamama and GBK are also signed to Angel Central.
A new independent operation called Urban Kitchen is to launch in the Hockley area of Nottingham in the autumn.
