Balans Soho Society to open in Clapham
The group has secured the former Honky Tonk site near Clapham Common for its first opening south of the river, in March.
It will be the seventh UK site for the group, which began as a sandwich shop in Soho in 1987.
Balans co-founder David Taylor told BigHospitality the restaurant would have around 100 covers and be based on the group’s Soho outpost.
“We’re going to serve brunch and dinner and have got a 2am license on Friday and Saturday,” said Taylor.
“Because it’s quite a big site we’ve put in a fireplace and a sofa so it’s a place you can go and have a drink as well as sitting down to eat.”
Designer Simon Costin, who has previously worked with Alexander McQueen, Faberge and Hermes, will create the interior of the new restaurant.
Successful rebrand
It comes after like-for-like sales rose 18 per cent at Balans last year following a major rebrand of its existing sites.
Taylor, who acquired the UK arm of the company in 2013 after buying out his late business partner Prady Balan, admitted that the group had ‘lost its sparkle’ in the early 2000’s but had seen a turnaround after a redesigning its restaurants and launching a more concise menu in 2015.
He added that he would like to continue expanding the group if the Clapham opening was successful.
“We opened in Seven Dials last year and will be in Clapham early this year," said Taylor.
"As long as Clapham trades as I think it will then we’ll actively seek sites somewhere else. I’d like to be able to go to east London.”
Watch out for BigHospitality’s full interview with David Taylor in the next week.
