24-hour restaurant VQ to open 10 sites by 2019
Founder Simon Prideaux told BigHospitality that the three-strong brand was aiming to open ten new sites by the end of 2019, with a mix of 24-hour and late-night diners.
“If we solely wanted to trade 24-hours then it’s going to slow our growth and we want to expand at a more rapid rate,” said Prideaux.
“We’re keen to focus on London at the moment as we’re building a brand, but I think [VQ would work] in every major city outside of London because there isn’t that late night offering available. The standard meal-times aren’t so much in place nowadays. People want convenience and to eat and drink whenever.”
The group is considering sites south of the river in London as well as in Islington, Camden Town and Aldgate, before eyeing cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Brighton.
VQ debuted in Chelsea 21 years ago, and has since opened at the St Giles Hotel in Bloomsbury and launched its first non-24-hour restaurant in Notting Hill this month.
Prideaux told BigHospitality that the group is ‘in talks’ with several hotel brands to open further restaurants.
“I think hotel dining is changing at a rapid pace, as more hoteliers outsource their F&B offering,” he said.
“Hotels have fantastic spaces and are putting more independent restaurants in. They have an immediate customer base right above the restaurant, so it’s a great avenue for us.”
He added that working with hotels made it easier to open more 24-hour sites due to the difficulty of obtaining late-night licenses in London.
The full interview with Simon Prideaux will appear on BigHospitality on Friday.
