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The Wolseley City, which opens in London’s financial district this week, is targeting a wide variety of people and would not be about fine dining, according to Baton Berisha.
The Wolseley Hospitality Group’s (TWHG) chief executive told The Times that the new site, unlike the original Wolseley in Piccadilly, would not serve afternoon tea.
“We’ll have sandwiches, and other offers to make sure people can come in during the afternoon, read the newspaper, have their meetings, have a coffee, pastries and the like,” Berisha said.
“It has to be accessible. All day dining has something for everyone. You can have your eggs and read the paper, or have a three-course lunch or sit at the bar with a steak tartare and a glass of wine.”
The Wolseley City on King William Street overlooks London Bridge encompasses 260 seats – compared to 160 at the Piccadilly site – and a £10m fitout with private dining for 24 guests.
The new restaurant aims to match the original by attracting 1,000 guests per day.
Berisha is considering other potential locations in tier 1 cities around the world, including New York, Hong Kong, and Paris, while the pared-back Café Wolseley concept will be deployed in smaller cities like Amsterdam and Lisbon.
The Wolseley City, meanwhile, opens on Wednesday 8 November.
“This is a serious statement restaurant. It is a very, very important project for us,” said Berisha. “It has to be successful.”
