Carluccio's to open first hotel restaurant
The company will open a 5,000sq ft site on the ground floor of the 304-bedroom London Marriott Regents Park hotel. With its own entrance on Adelaide Road, the 200-cover restaurant will feature a full aperitivo and espresso bar, outdoor terrace, retail area and deli.
It is thought that the move could lead to Marriott exploring further opportunities with branded restaurant operators across its c40-strong UK estate according to BigHospitality's sister publication MCA.
Neil Wickers, chief executive of Carluccio’s, said: “This is our first venture with Marriott and we are extremely excited to be opening our first Carluccio’s in a hotel with this forward-thinking group. Our all-day trading format is particularly suited to a hotel operation where breakfast and impromptu dining are an integral part of the hotel guest offer.”
Over the last 18 months hotel operators have begun exploring opportunities to team up with established restaurant brands, with Jamie’s Italian and Aubaine both opening sites inside Hilton Hotels in the capital.
Earlier this year, Simon Kossoff, chairman of Carluccio’s, told MCA that the company was reviewing further growth opportunities to aid its next stage of development as it nears 100 sites in the UK.
He said: “We are currently exploring what we will be the next area of growth for the business. For example years back transport hubs weren’t seen as an area of growth, but they certainly are now, where is the next one?
The c100-strong group, which plans to open eight to 10 sites this year and recently launched new grab and go format Via in the capital.
