The Crown Estate, the landowner and custodian of buildings along Regent Street and across St James’s, is repurposing over 16,000 sq ft of retail space to hospitality use, diversifying the West End’s dining scene.
This follows the news that The Crown Estate welcomed a new collection of flagship retailers to the West End last month, as it continues to bolster the area’s credentials as a global lifestyle destination.
Jul’s will bring a new contemporary style to an iconic listed West End building, with 8,685 sq ft at 11 Waterloo Place, which was formerly a bank. It is expected to open at the end of 2024.
carpo – the world-renowned premium handpicked nuts, handcrafted chocolate and aromatic coffee brand has announced the opening of its flagship store in central London this November. Located at 10 Glasshouse Street, the new 3,656 sq ft site marks a significant milestone as carpo celebrates its 10th anniversary in the capital.
Alongside these dine-in options, The Crown Estate is also enhancing the area’s grab and go offer. Farmer J will open its largest West End flagship restaurant at 210 Piccadilly from Autumn 2023. The 3,024 sq ft site will offer freshly prepared food options using mindfully sourced ingredients.
A further grab and go option, OshPaz, will bring Uzbek cuisine to the central London portfolio. The 900 sq ft space at 7 Regent Street will open in Autumn 2023, with initiatives in place to support refugees and asylum seekers. This will be the restaurant’s first permanent site following successful pop ups and food stalls at Mercato Metropolitano, Kerb and Seven Dials Market, as The Crown Estate seeks to nurture young restaurant brands, building a platform for them to grow within the central London portfolio.
Opportunities for al fresco dining are currently being explored across the four sites, which would further amplify the vibrant and social atmosphere in London’s West End.
Additionally, Ziggy Green (part of The Daisy Green Collection) will relocate and upsize from 1 Heddon Street to 4 Heddon Street, as they continue to thrive in the emerging dining hub off Regent Street.
The Australian-inspired destination will be set across 2,435 sq ft of space, with an attractive terrace wrapping around the corner site. Opening in Autumn 2023, the restaurant will complement the existing and evolving mix of restaurants on Heddon Street with an accessible and all-day dining offer, including breakfast.
These new signings follow the news that the owners of the critically acclaimed restaurant Fallow St James’s are today opening a new site in The Crown Estate’s portfolio. FOWL promises to be a ‘chicken shop like no other’, open all-day for walk-ins only and serving an interpretation of classic chicken dishes.
Sarah McLaren, Customer Partnership Manager, Lifestyle at The Crown Estate said: “These diverse additions perfectly encapsulate our desire to amplify and evolve London’s lifestyle scene; providing new experiences to our visitors and partnering with our customers to find the best spaces that will allow them to thrive.
“In this case, transforming a significant amount of traditional retail and commercial space into exciting dining options will provide greater choice, while complementing our world-famous retail offer – including the four new flagships. Together with our partners, we are solidifying the West End’s reputation as an enticing culinary destination and a welcoming place that people want to spend extended time in, from day to night.”
Jem Akyuz, Co-Founder and Business Development at Jul’s, said: “Following the ongoing success of Jul’s in Ibiza, we are delighted to bring our Greek-inspired cuisine to London – one of the world’s greatest hubs for exciting new restaurants. Being in the heart of the West End will allow us to bring our modern fine dining culinary experience to a wide range of passionate customers.”
Muzaffar Sadykov, Founder of OshPaz, said: “It’s always been a dream to bring Uzbek food to the West End, it’s the perfect place for our first standalone site. Our journey in the UK has gone from strength to strength, and we can’t wait to showcase OshPaz’s food and unique flavours to everyone.”
Publisher of Hospitality and Leisure News, 365 Retail, Retail Source and organiser of the Creative Retail Awards.
