Hotel Openings

🍜 Jerk Junction, a Manchester-based Caribbean street food brand, is set to open its first shopping centre location at Trafford Centre's Orient food court in September. Occupying a 917sq ft space, it'll offer dishes like jerk chicken and curried goat. Founder Jake Shaffi, leading since 2020, launched Jerk Junction in Chorlton in 2013. After a fire last summer, its original site reopens on 5 August. Shaffi aims to make Jamaican food more accessible in the UK.

🎯 Clays, following a £6m fundraise led by Otium Leisure and backing from Imbiba, is set to make its regional debut in Birmingham's Piccadilly Arcade. This will be its third location, adding to sites in Canary Wharf and The City. The Birmingham venue will offer a semi-private area or a fully-private room with six digitalised games. Food and drink will be available via kiosk ordering. Founder Tom Snellock expresses excitement for the expansion. Otium Leisure recognizes Clays as a leading brand in competitive socialising, supporting its growth journey. New launches are expected next year.

🍴 Gerard Craft, head of St. Louis-based Niche Food Group, will open Expat BBQ in summer, featuring global flavors in American barbecue. Sam Nawrocki, with 15 years of Southern cuisine experience, leads the kitchen. Melinda Cooper oversees the beverage program, promising an international beer selection and globally-inspired cocktails. Average checks are forecasted to be $50 on the first floor and $25 on the third level. Expat BBQ will join Fordo’s Killer Pizza and Kitchen Bar at City Foundry STL, in a 16,000 square foot space featuring a conveyor belt for dish transport, a terrace patio, and a live music stage. Craft, a James Beard Award-winning chef, aims to offer a unique, fun dining experience.

🎷 The Marquee Moon, influenced by 1970s band Television, will open on 15 August as a pub in Dalston, formerly The Marquis of Lansdowne. Owned by Stuart Glen and Eugene Wild of The Cause, it features an East Asian-inspired sharing menu by New Zealand chef Huri Rapana Neil, along with a cocktail menu by Emmanuel Ferris-Hue focusing on local and independent drinks. The pub includes a hi-fi sound system for curated music until 3am, an 80-cover restaurant with Art Deco design, and operates until 3am.

🍴 The Coal Shed's largest project to date moves to North Street, Brighton, in Clarence House, seating 142 guests. Helalat's first concept, launched in 2011, now expands with executive chef Lee Murdoch. The menu will emphasize local produce, beef, and Brighton's seafood, featuring a Himalayan salt-ageing room and a 25-seat bar. The cocktail menu is inspired by NYC and London. Five distinct dining areas, including a private event space for 26, will be available. The current location will close on 1 September.

🏢 The Alchemist will open a new site in January 2025 at 16 Eastcheap, near Monument station in the City of London. Spanning 5,549sq ft across ground and basement levels with 115 covers, the venue represents a £1.9m investment. This location joins six other London venues, complementing the area's history and the city's resurgence of corporate activity. Designed by Macaulay Sinclair, The Alchemist aims to provide a memorable experience in the heart of a corporate hub.

🍴 Chef Thomas Straker, known for his high-profile restaurant stints and social media presence, is set to open a new café-style concept at 60 Golborne Road, Notting Hill, following his first restaurant's launch at 91 Golborne Road in 2022. This upcoming deli will feature breakfast items like acai bowls and granola. Straker's debut restaurant garnered critical acclaim and secured a spot on the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 list in 2022. Despite success, Straker faced criticism for lacking diversity in his kitchen last year but has since pledged to improve. He also runs a flatbread outlet in Arcade Battersea and his retail range All Things Butter is available in Sainsbury's and Ocado.

🍽 Minneapolis’ new restaurant Bûcheron was opened by chef Adam Ritter and Jeanie Janas Ritter. Adam has a background in Michelin-starred and “World’s 50 Best” restaurants, recently leading Demi's menu development, a James Beard Awards Best New Restaurant-finalist. Jeanie worked at Chez Panisse then managed operations at various upscale locations. Meals at Bûcheron cost $60-75 per person without drinks. The menu draws from the Parisian Bistronomy movement, featuring dishes like a wedge salad with lamb bacon and a foie gras terrine. The wine list, managed by Tyler McLeod, emphasizes biodynamic wines and female winemakers, while the cocktail program by Will Gobeli adds small twists to classics. Located in Minneapolis' Kingfield neighborhood, Bûcheron was designed by Christian Dean Architecture with local art by Mary Jo Hoffman creating a warm, convivial atmosphere.

🍔 Native Burger, led by Luke Taylor, opened on 30 July in Cornwall, offering a 20-seat venue with a menu of nine burgers. The Westgate Street location, previously a butcher's shop run by Philip Warren, now showcases Warren's exclusively grass-fed meats. Menu highlights include the Twisted Fire Starter, The Workout, and Tequila Slammer burgers, along with fries topped with bacon bits, cheese, and pulled beef. Native Burger aims to contribute to Launceston's social revival.

🍴 The Goring hotel's flagship restaurant, The Dining Room, relaunches with a makeover by Russell Sage Studio and a refreshed dining experience, including a six-seater chef’s table. CEO Jeremy Goring leads the project, with executive chef Graham Squire, who has maintained the Michelin star since 2019. Starters and mains average at £25 and start at £42, respectively, with a £80 pre-theatre three-course menu. The wine list has over 500 references, with by-the-glass options starting at £12. The hotel, minutes from Buckingham Palace, holds a Royal Warrant and is London's last family-owned luxury hotel.