Former Tasty and Giggling Squid directors prep new venture

Former Tasty managing director Jo Morrison and Giggling Squid operations direction Peter Morrison are launching a new all-day dining restaurant concept in Hove.

The husband and wife team opening Jo & Co on the former Azaro Indian restaurant on 115 Church Road in late June.

The Antipodean-inspired dining concept will serve globetrotting cuisine, with a Mediterranean slant, with 80 covers in the main restaurant, 20 in a mezzanine bar, and 16 outside.

They couple, who met at Ask Italian and Zizzi under the Kaye brothers, told MCA’s sister title BigHospitality they planned to open further sites under the concept.

Jo, who will oversee food and the business overall, said: “After we finished up at our respective groups we took some time out. We were particularly inspired by the brunch scene in Australia and New Zealand. They just get it right over there.”

“Despite us having extensive experience in the space it’s not Italian. It’s more Mediterranean but it’s varied. We’re drawing inspiration from everywhere really.”

She added: “It is tough out there at the moment and it is difficult to make money but we feel we have a really workable model and we have considerable experience opening restaurants.

Peter, who will focus on front of house, drinks and the design, said: “A few years ago we thought: ‘are we going to stick doing this for other people for the rest of our career or are we going to take the leap of faith and do it for ourselves?’

He added: “We certainly want to do more. The company is Joe & Co Restaurants limited so we’ve already made it plural,” adds Pete. “But slowly and in our own time. We also want the brand to be flexible, the concept and the name gives us quite a lot of room to adjust it to each location.”

Peter was most recently at Giggling Squid and took the Thai chain from nine to 25 locations, and before that was operations director at Prezzo’s Chimichanga.

Jo (nee Bargery) launched Wildwood for Sam Kaye, growing the pizza and pasta brand from one to 60 restaurants, and also worked at dim t, Spice Inns and Zizzi.

Jo & Co’s brunch menu includes hashes served with braised beef or pulled pork on sautéed potato hash with poached egg and pickles; French toast ‘Bananas Foster’; and shakshuka eggs.

The evening menu lists the likes of truffled mushroom and fried artichoke pizzette; boneless harissa chicken thigh, home baked pitta, spiced cauliflower and sweet potato; and BBQ jackfruit served on potato fritters, asparagus salad. Pricing has not been finalised but is expected to be in line with other all-day dining concepts.