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| Tue 10 Jun, 2014 |
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| Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger |
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| Expansion 3.0 |
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We're no strangers to independents multiplying – The Breakfast Club, Fernandez & Wells, and The Diner. And now we're heading into the third generation – on turbo. It seems the new mantra for expansion 3.0 is: faster, bigger, stronger.
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Faster
First, let's talk faster. In this category, it seems to be all about the coffee bars. The once stand-alone Shoreditch Grind transported their cinema sign to Soho; a week later, Piccadilly Grind went underground (in the station), and rumour has it, there are more on the way. Following the same recipe, Workshop Coffee Co. has spread from Clerkenwell to Marylebone and Holborn, and we hear the exposed brick has all but gone up on Mortimer Street.
Bigger
Next, we have the kids who believe that bigger is better. Polpo, having done a mass expansion, has said arrivederci to the intimate bacaro vibe with its latest Notting Hill set up – think 120 covers, two floors, and a busy Notting Hill Gate location. Soon to come: second outposts from Lima and Barrafina. The former, set to open on July 14 in Covent Garden and branded Lima Flora, will be a double story restaurant with a bar in the basement and restaurant on the main level with a Peruvian tapas bar. Barrafina's sibling, also double storeyed and in Covent Garden, will stay true to its counter top dining style, but this branch will have a private dining room, featuring its own open kitchen and plancha (aka Spanish grill).
Stronger
Let's start with the beast that is Soho House. From the sub-brands (Chicken Shop, Pizza East, Dirty Burger and Electric Diner) which keep growing, to ongoing global namesake houses (Chicago, Istanbul) and local ones (BBC House, and Farmhouse in Oxfordshire), and the more curious takeaway shop rumours, it seems global domination is as good as done. Hawksmoor is also gathering momentum with its fifth restaurant set to open in Knightsbridge. Featuring a few Asian inspired dishes (think citrus scallops with chilli and ginger and Vietnamese style oysters), we predict a Far East opening in the not-too-distant future. And lastly, The GoodLife Projects. The umbrella group, which started with Ping and in a few short years, have expanded their portfolio to include The Rum Kitchen (two locations, with another in the pipeline), Love Brunch (London, Ibiza and LA), and their latest baby, Drifters Festival…It's as two wise robots once said: Work it harder, make it better, do it faster!
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| YOU'RE INVITED |
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UJ IBIZA GUIDE PARTY
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Tomorrow night is our Ibiza launch party and YOU'RE INVITED! Head West to Paradise by Way of Kensal Green and celebrate the launch of our newly updated Ibiza guide. There'll be tunes courtesy of Becky Tong and Benjamin Cain all fuelled by free-flowing cocktails and canapés. To apply for a spot on the guest list (with a plus one), simply fill out our competition form here. If you're successful, we'll notify you by email. See you there!
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