Hotel Openings

🍜 Tonkotsu, a ramen restaurant group, is opening a new site on Baldwin Street, Bristol in September, joining its existing 15 London locations, plus Birmingham and Brighton. Tonkotsu's restaurants feature in-house daily-made fresh noodles using machines from Tokyo and a two-day bone broth preparation for maximum flavor. The Bristol site will include a large mural by local artist Molly Hawkins. Founded in Soho in 2012 by Ken Yamada and Emma Reynolds, Tonkotsu secured a £5m investment from YFM Equity Partners in 2019.

🍣 Mayfair's former 20 Berkeley relaunches as NIJŪ with Creative Restaurant Group's Endo Kazutoshi. NIJŪ, featuring Japanese sushi and grill, occupies the space of the now-closed British restaurant 20 Berkeley. Head chefs Chris Golding and David Bury lead the kitchen, offering dishes like Kobe sirloin (£110 per 100g) and a unique cocktail program. The space has 120 covers, maintaining the Nipperkin bar serving Japanese-inspired cocktails. Address: 20 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8EE. Website: www.nijulondon.com.

🍝 Archie's to launch a new venue, Archie's Atomic, in Manchester's Trafford Palazzo, occupying a 25,000 sq ft space including a 5,000 sq ft roller rink. Established in 2010 with locations in Birmingham, Leeds, and Liverpool, the venue will feature Archie's diner, milkshake bar, private party rooms, and an arcade. Project manager Phil Holt anticipates a unique UK experience with a retro roller disco vibe, while Peel's executive director Mark Whittaker expects it to complement Trafford Palazzo's family attractions.

🍔 Joshua Kleiner, head of operations and marketing at Sandwich Sandwich, stated that the brand will open a second London location by the end of the year with plans to launch four or five more in London next year, eyeing UK and international growth. Founded in 2010, the brand will debut in London on 18 July at a former Tossed site, following a win as Uber Eats UK and Ireland's Restaurant of the Year in October, receiving £100,000. Sandwich Sandwich offers made-to-order sandwiches and a variety of pastries and sweets.

🍞 Mayfair's Pollen Street Social set to close on 31 July, transitioning to pop-up 'Mary’s' on 16 August, with a permanent change planned for next year. Executive Chef Alex Parker will lead, featuring The Blind Pig bar, a £14 single-option smashed burger bar, and a transformed chef’s counter. The pop-up will run until 31 December before a four-month closure for renovations. Reopening will introduce 'Meat and Two Veg'—a smashed burger and plant-based burger bar, with a 'grill heavy' main restaurant. Named after a cherished patron, Mary’s is part of Jason Atherton’s series of 2023 launches, including 'Hot Dogs by Three Darlings' in Harrods, 'Sael' in St James’s, 'Three Darlings' in Chelsea, and 'Row on 5' in November with Spencer Metzger on Savile Row.

🍴 Margo, a new 138-cover restaurant by Scoop restaurant group, is set to open on Miller Street, Glasgow. Led by Chef Robin Aitken, Margo will offer a menu of snacks, small plates, and sharing dishes featuring seasonal produce, Scottish seafood, in-house butchered meat, as well as homemade bread and pasta. The restaurant will present an extensive wine list, including fine, natural, and biodynamic wines. Aitken, who joined Ox and Finch in 2014 and contributed to Ka Pao Glasgow's Michelin Bib Gourmand, leads the latest addition to Scoop's portfolio, which includes Ox and Finch and Ka Pao in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Margo aims to evolve from Ox and Finch, sharing its ethos while promising to be "bigger and bolder.

🏡 Indigo Road Hospitality to open the 9th, 10th, and 11th O-Ku locations within the next year, alongside the 7th Indaco and 1st Maru location, specializing in Nikkei cuisine. Founded in 2005 by Steve Palmer with Oak Steakhouse in Charleston, S.C., the group now boasts 36 restaurants and 6 hotels. Luminosa, an Italian restaurant in Asheville, N.C., launched in May. The next O-Ku is set to open in mid-September in Alys Beach, Fla., with local chefs and Gulf coast seafood. O-Ku’s culinary director, Masatomo Hamaya, guides menu personalization, with an average check of $50-$60 per person. Upcoming openings include Tampa’s O-Ku and Maru, alongside another O-Ku in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Indaco in Nashville by 2025.

🍔 Azzurri Group plans to open 60 Dave’s Hot Chicken outlets in the UK, starting Q1 2025 in London. Bundobust to shut its Birmingham location on July 14th. Pizza Express tests new 'Pod' concept in Tesco, Bursledon. Chef Jakob Grant debuts Cherub’s in Deal, Kent, with 27 seats. Patrick Powell leaves The Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra, concluding service on July 14th.

🏖️ The Potlatch Club, Eleuthera's first luxury boutique hotel, emerged from a seven-year renovation led by owners Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles since discovering the property in 2016. The 11-key establishment, set on 12 acres, fronts a seven-mile pink sand beach, offering a variety of accommodations including historic suites, garden cottages, and a four-bedroom ocean view villa with butler service. Amenities include the Fig Tree restaurant, Pavilion Bar, spa, pool, and gym.

🍴 Chef Santiago Lastra and MJMK Restaurants are set to open Fonda, a new Mexican restaurant in Mayfair, London, in September. The establishment will occupy two floors offering traditional Mexican dishes inspired by family recipes. Utilizing heirloom corn from Tamoa, the kitchen will prepare fresh tortillas daily. The menu includes unique salsas, sikil pak, trout ceviche, comal dishes like costras and baja tacos, seasonal specials, and traditional desserts with British twists. The restaurant will also serve agave-based cocktails with a paloma section, reinvented classic cocktails using British ingredients, and a curated wine list from small producers.