German-style restaurant brand Herman Ze German is to open its first UK site outside of London at Grand Central in Birmingham on 1 April. It will have 42 covers across a 700 square feet unit. The brand already has four locations in London. Co-founders Azadeh Falakshahi and Florian Frey said: “We are super excited to be bringing our famous Currywurst, Schnitzels and grilled Black Forest sausages to Birmingham. With its line-up of leading retailers and restaurateurs and location directly about the busy New Street Station, Grand Central was the obvious choice for our first site outside of London.” Iain Mitchell, UK commercial director at Hammerson, said: “Herman Ze German will be a great addition to Grand Central’s already strong restaurant line-up.”
Fuller’s launched a new pub called the Hercules on Kennington Road in Lambeth last week. Managing director Jonathan Swaine said: “I’m over the moon about this exciting addition to the Fuller’s estate. The building and area have a fascinating history and heritage… so it’s a perfect fit in our rich portfolio of managed pubs.”
Boxpark has signed a lease to open its first collective of restaurant and street food operators outside London, by the beach in Shoreham in west Sussex. Boxpark has three sites in London, in Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley. The Shoreham operation will be known as Big Beach Box, and will stage events as well as hosting food and drink operators.
Rockfish will open a 2,600 square feet restaurant at Exeter Quay on Monday (18 March), on the back of an injection of funding from HSBC. It will be followed by two more confirmed launches in 2019, in Poole and Weymouth.
Lebanese restaurant group Kababji, which runs 26 sites around the Middle East, is to launch its first UK venue in Wimbledon. It will have a big central grill and tech features including an order tracker. The launch is being backed by Ziad Joumblat, chairman of Big Fernand Restaurant Group, and Douglas Smillie, formerly of Busaba Eathai and Tapas Revolution. More London openings are planned over the rest of 2019.
Five Guys opened at the Freeport outlet shopping development in Braintree late last week. The restaurant has 48 covers and seating for another 32 on a terrace. Five Guys has meanwhile signed to open in Camden Parkway, on a unit previously occupied by Cote.
Nando’s opened a new restaurant at the Ely Leisure Park in Ely in Cambridgeshire this week.
Altrincham’s Casual Chinese concept WowYauChow is to open a second restaurant in Stockport. It will succeed the CockaDoodleMoo brand run by the same group. A third WowYauChow is scheduled to open in Rochdale in the spring.
Birmingham and Manchester Indian restaurant and bar brand Asha’s has set 27 March for the opening of its new site at the Touchwood development in Solihull.
BrewDog opened its first Draft House pub in Scotland last week, in Aberdeen. BrewDog acquired the Draft House brand last year.
Mexican operator Benito’s Hat has opened its tenth site, and one of its largest yet, at the O2 arena in London. It has a standalone margarita bar as well as restaurant.
Gail’s Bakery will soon open on Shepherds Bush Road in Brook Green—its 50th site so far.
Albion & East has announced more plans for its fourth venue, Serata Hall in Islington. The group, backed by the Imbiba Partnership, also runs Martello Hall in Hackney and Canova Hall and Cattivo in Brixton. Serata Hall will have an in-house bakery and distillery as well as restaurant and hotdesking workspaces. The venue will open in April.
Fried chicken concept Yard & Coop opened its third site in York Place in Leeds this week. The 120-cover restaurant joins Yard & Coops in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and the Liverpool ONE complex.
Plant-based restaurant brand The Gate has confirmed plans for its fourth site in St John’s Wood. The restaurant will have a 3,300 square feet unit on Allitsen Road that was previously occupied by Delisserie. It will open in April. The other three Gate restaurants are in Marylebone, Islington and Hammersmith.
Manchester’s Trove bakery and café has just opened a restaurant and wine bar in Ancoats called Erst. It is next to a branch of Trove, which has another site in Levenshulme.
