The first Caffe Carluccio’s unit opened within the Sainsbury’s in St Albans this week. Brand owner Boparan Restaurant Group says it plans to roll out up to 500 Caffe Carluccio’s sits with Sainsbury’s and in travel hub, city centres and neighbourhood locations. Boparan acquired the Carluccio’s name in May 2020, and various other spin-off brands are planned, including a Carluccio’s Counter deli concept in Sainsbury’s in Leamington Spa in the next few weeks.
Italian restaurant group Prezzo will open at the Islington Square development this summer. The 4,300 square feet unit will be Prezzo’s first new opening for three years.
The New World Trading Company has announced plans for an opening of its Botanist brand in Ipswich. It will be located on the Cornhill square in the town, and should be open by the end of the year.
Boxpark is to create a major new Boxhall food hall in Bristol. It will have a range of local restaurants, street food traders and pop-ups, and an events programme including live music. The hall is a conversion of the old O&M Sheds on Bristol’s harbourside, and is scheduled to open in June 2022.
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants’ Street Burger brand has confirmed an opening for the Entertainment District of the O2 in London in July. It will be the biggest Street Burger so far, with seating for 175 over two floors and a patio terrace.
The Thunderbird Fried Chicken brand is opening two new restaurants under a new franchise partnership with Parkdean Resorts. The launches will be at Parkdean parks in Camber Sands in Sussex and Trecco Bay in South Wales in the next few weeks, with more to follow.
A new plant-based quick service restaurant called Ready Burger has opened its first site in London’s Crouch End, with another to follow on Finchley Road in the summer. It wants to be the UK’s first major vegan QSR chain, and has several more openings lined up for this year, backed by a crowdfunding campaign.
JD Wetherspoon opened a new pub in the Headingley area of Leeds on Tuesday (8 June). The Golden Beam is a conversion of an old church building.
Italian drinks brand Bottega has created a rooftop bar the Novotel hotel in Canary Wharf. Bottega@Bokan has Italian food alongside the brand’s wine and cocktails.
Indian street food brand Mowgli has set 30 June for the opening of its latest new restaurant at Cheshire Oaks. It will become the 12th Mowgli restaurant in the UK.
Flight Club has confirmed the opening of a 200-capacity site in Bristol on 30 July. It will follow a 24 June opening of its new Leeds venue.
Yard Sale Pizza is opening an eighth location in Crystal Palace in the summer. Its other London sites are in Balham, Clapton, East Dulwich, Finsbury Park, Hackney, Leytonstone and Walthamstow.
Shaftesbury has signed two independent operators to St Martin’s Lane in London’s Seven Dials. Coffee house and brunch brand Watch House has taken a 1,200 square feet unit and will open in August, while boutique gelateria ANITA has signed for a 1,000 square feet unit that will launch in early 2022, It is an eighth London site for Watch House and a first UK venture for ANITA, which has branches in cities including Sydney, Barcelona, New York and Tel Aviv.
The Kudu group of South African restaurants is opening a new site on Nunhead Lane in Peckham called Kudu Grill. It is due to launch towards the end of July.
The Inn Collection group has just launched the Seaburn Inn in Sunderland.
Notting Hill Mexican restaurant Taqueria is opening a second location in Exmouth Market in late June. It comes 16 years after Taqueria first launched in London.
To read last weeks new openings round-up, click here
