The 6,200 sq ft site 100-cover site, situated in the Cardamom building, will become the group's flagship store and restaurant, housing a larger wine offering and delicatessen than its other seven sites. The site will also be home to Valentina's online business.
Last month, talking about the merits of diversifying a business, owner Bruno Zoccola said he was waiting to complete the deal for the Tower Bridge site imminently as part of expansion plans for the group.
“This is a very big moment in Valentina and we’re hoping to develop a strong base of regular customers from both a residential and business side," he said. "All of our other sites have been where the Italians eat and shop and we are hoping that at Tower Bridge guests will feel as though they are experiencing Italy when they walk into our store and restaurant”
The new site is part of a £1m refurbishment by the company, which is jointly owned by the Zoccola and Arcari families, both of whom originate from Sant’Elia Fiumerapido, near Monte Cassino in Italy. Zoccola said he wanted to grow Valentina to 10 sites this year with 20 the target for the business.
Valentina Tower Bridge will also offer a home and delivery service as well as a catering service for private and corporate customers. It joins existing sites in Sheen, Putney, Sevenoaks, Notting Hill, Weybridge Reigate and Chiswick.