US fried chicken brand Popeyes will open at Westfield Stratford in November. It will be Popeyes’ first UK site as it begins a plan to open up to 350 restaurants over the next ten years. Popeyes is taking on a 1,500 square feet site at Westfield that was previously occupied by KFC. The brand has around 3,400 sites around the world.
Thai brand Thaikhun opened a new all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant called Thaikhun Street at the Trafford Centre in Manchester this week. It is a 144-cover restaurant.
Cocktail bar brand Dirty Martini has confirmed an opening on Corn Street in Bristol. The 3,300 square feet unit is scheduled to open by Christmas. Dirty Martini currently has 11 sites: seven in London and one in each of Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds and Manchester.
London Cocktail Club has signed a lease for a new 2,900 square feet bar on Gun Street in Reading. It should be open by the end of the year, with a capacity of 230. It follows close behind announcements of a new opening in London’s Mansion House and Bristol.
Wingstop is opening a new restaurant at the St James Quarter in Edinburgh. It has taken a 1,800 square feet site there as it continues a UK rollout. Also opening at St James is Thai Express, which has taken on a 2,600 square feet unit.
Germany-based fast food brand Extrawurst is launching into the UK under franchise, with sites in a first wave in cities including Birmingham and Nottingham.
Filipino brand Jollibee has acquired a site on Princes Street in Edinburgh as it continues a rapid rollout in the UK. Other cities with openings in the pipeline include Glasgow, Newcastle and Nottingham. There are currently seven branches in the UK.
Healthy eating brand Tossed has just opened its new flagship site on Baker Street in London. It is a relocation from a previous Baker Street site and takes Tossed’s estate to 11.
Oxford-based wine bar, restaurant and café Wilding has opened a second site in an old Café Rouge unit at Old George Mall in Salisbury. The 3,700 square feet site has a wine shop as well as sit-in space. The original Wilding is on Oxford’s Little Clarendon Street, and its operators also run a site called Eight Stony Street in Frome.
The Touchwood shopping centre in Solihull has signed up two new openings: fried chicken brand Dirty Wild Wings and independent tapas bar Alioli.
Italian restaurant and deli brand Lina Stores has submitted plans to open on The Pavement in Clapham. It will be the third location for the brand, which has sites on Greek Street in Soho and King’s Cross. The Soho deli element of Lina Stores dates back to 1944.
Taiwanese fried chicken brand Ji The Chicken Shop has just opened on Queens Road in Bristol. It will be the ninth location for the brand, joining three sites in London and one in each of Cambridge, Cardiff, Leeds, Norwich and York.
London pasta restaurant Al Dente is opening a second small site on Monument Square in the City in mid-October. It will have 12 covers inside with 12 more outside, plus delivery. The original Al Dente is on Goodge Street.
Dalston’s agave spirits bar Hacha is opening a second location on Market Row in Brixton. It will have a ground-floor retail shop as well as a 50-cover first-floor bar, with Mexican street food provided by Maiz Azul, who also operate at Hacha’s Dalston bar.
Manchester-based Italian restaurant group Salvi’s is opening a new food hub at the Deansgate Square development. It will have a deli and exhibition space as well as a restaurant and bar. Salvi’s already runs a restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and a mozzarella bar and deli at the Corn Exchange.
To read last week’s new openings round-up, click here.
