The group, founded in 1998 by Ben Warner and operated by Guy Kellner, will open a 70-cover venue on the former Headmasters site in Hanover Street on 2 December which will be followed by a 1,450 sq.ft, 30-seat café in the 62 Buckingham Gate shopping and dining development in mid-December.
Both of the new venues will operate under Benugo’s café format, which it hopes to expand by another 15 sites over the next three years (according to our sister title, M&C Report).
“It has never been an ambition to have a Benugo on every corner”, said Ben Warner. “But to have it where it feels special.”
On the menu
Both new shops will be open daily from 7am until 6pm for sandwiches, salads, wraps and freshly baked deli items, of which customers can choose to eat in or take away.
Sandwiches, available cold or toasted and on a variety of different breads, include the range of signature combination sandwiches (priced from £4.45) such as the New Yorker - a ciabatta bread filled with British turkey from the Arden forest, bacon, Gruyère with Dijon mayo, lettuce and tomato.
Highlights from the cakes and desserts menu include salted caramel apple bites, millionaire shortbread, stem ginger cakeand a selection of muffins. Breakfast includes pastries baked on the premises as well as organic whole-fat and low-fat yoghurts. In addition to serving its special own blend coffee, Benugo offers home made fresh juices and tropical smoothies.
The business sources the majority of its ingredients from local and British regional suppliers with whom it has longstanding relationships. Menus and packaging all use recycled materials.
Benugo's growth
Benugo operates 11 high street delis across London, including Cannon Street, Covent Garden, Curzon Street, Great Portland Street, Luton Aiport, St Pancras International, Waterloo Station, Westfield White City, and the new additions in Mayfair and Victoria.
Earlier this month, the firm announced plans to re-open the Great Court Restaurant at The British Museum next January following a three-month refurbishment.
Benugo also recently opened a restaurant in Soho in partnership with charity House of St Barnabas. It also runs restaurants and cafes at the V&A, the Natural History Museum, Ashmolean and Edinburgh Castle and recently won a £20m contract to run restaurants, cafes and kiosks at Regent's Park.