What: The latest site for casual dining brand Coppa Club. The opening takes the group up to eight locations in total and is its first site in the South West (and indeed its first restaurant outside of London and the Home Counties). Various Eateries launched the first Coppa Club in 2015 in the Berkshire village of Sonning-on-Thames, pitching it as “a venue which offered something for everyone, a local hang-out and a community space”. The brand has to some extent risen from the ashes of Italian casual dining chain Strada - which Various Eateries’ parent company Sun Capital Partners once owned - with a number of sites conversions of former Strada units.
Who: Influential sector entrepreneur Hugh Osmond leads both Sun Capital Partners and Various Eateries. Osmond co-led the acquisition of PizzaExpress, which went on to became the UK’s largest quoted restaurant group so knows a thing or two about the casual dining sector. He was also the chairman of pub company Punch.
The vibe: Most recently a PizzaExpress, the site spans two floor and seats 100-covers over multiple zones with different themes. Designed by Fox & Church, the space has a relatively upscale look and feel for a branded restaurant concept. Design features include original floor-to-ceiling colonnades, exposed original brick work, dark blue leather banquettes, wicker pendants and hanging foliage.
The food: Billed as European, the menu has an Italian bias with a focus on pasta and pizza but some other classic casual dining dishes are thrown in for good measure including burgers, steaks, fried chicken and salads. Dishes include crispy fried squid with sriracha mayonnaise; ham hock and pork terrine; salmon with braised puy lentils, lemon and chives; and Caesar salad.
And another thing: Various Eateries is in the midst of an aggressive post-lockdown expansion drive. Following a £25m share raise earlier this year, the group is hoping to take advantage of the ‘unprecedented opportunity’ presented by the ‘post-Covid environment’. This latest opening is typical in that the group is targeting distressed sites in prime locations.
