Mikel, the Greek coffeehouse chain, is to make its debut in the UK, after securing a site in central London, MCA has learnt.
The company, which currently operates 160 sites in Greece and seven sites each in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, is believed to have secured the former Via Carluccio’s site in Tottenham Court Road for its UK debut.
Mikel, which stands as the acronym for the phrase Maybe it’s knowledge entering life, the company’s motto, is expected to use the site as a springboard for further openings in the capital.
The concept was launched in Greece by founder Lefteris Kyriakakis in 2008, in the city of Larissa. Its logo features an image of Kyriakakis.
Carluccio’s curtailed its move into the grab and go market with the closure of its first “quick-service version” format site Via Carluccio’s in September 2016, just seven months after its launch
The concept was described as “a quick-service variation of the brand, offering restaurant-quality food for people on the move”.
The company planned to target local workers, before a further three or four opened across the capital. It said that the average cost of developing the sites would about 40% of the cost of a fully-fledged Carluccio’s.
