Drake & Morgan, the highly-regarded bar-restaurant operator led by Jillian MacLean, has confirmed it is to open two new sites in London, the Haberdashery in Holborn and the Happenstance at St Paul's.
The five-strong chain will open the Haberdashery, a deli, café, restaurant and bar trading over three floors at the Sixty London scheme on Holborn Viaduct.
The company, which is backed by investment company Imbiba Partnership, will open the two-level Happenstance bar and restaurant at One St Paul’s Churchyard.
The group, which expects to open both sites over the next six months, is looking to expand to up to 10 sites in the capital and is understood to be exploring opportunities between 8,000sq ft and 13,000sq ft.
The chain opened its fifth site, the Drift, at London's Heron Tower, last July.
Imbiba Partnership is currently raising funding through a new Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to launch two new vehicles, bar and restaurant format Darwin & Wallace (D&W) and Camm & Hooper (C&H), a new company designed to make best use of event space in London
The group, which has so far raised around just under £3m towards the new formats, has appointed Melanie Marriott as group chief executive of D&W and Claire Lawson in a similar at C&H.
Lunson Mitchenall acted on behalf of Drake & Morgan on the two new deals, while Bruce Gillingham Pollard acted for the landlord.
