Village London co-founder Clive Watson has told M&C Report that London is currently seeing a renaissance of independent operators as big developers increasingly turn their backs on chains.
Watson said he expects Village London to open another restaurant next year but ruled out replicating his Blixen concept.
Watson, who this week launched a vodka distillery, said he was keen to find further opportunities within London but currently had no plans to explore opportunities in the rest of the country.
On growth plans at Village London, he said: “We have an eye for detail and we like to enjoy the process so we have never been in a huge rush. But I think next year there will definitely be another restaurant.”
He said: “It is incredibly competitive out there at the moment, which of course has an impact on the prices you pay but in general is absolutely fantastic for the sector.
“There is a resurgence of the independents at the moment. There is certainly no shortage of new operators out there and concepts being developed. The challenge is being able to afford the sites.
“Some of the big developers who have taken over swathes of London now seem to not be looking as much as they did to stick a load of multiples in their developments. They are actively looking for independents to give them that point of difference.”
Watson said Blixen, his all-day brasserie concept which opened at London’s Spitalfields last month, had been well received.
He said: “There’s no gimmicks or anything particularly niche – it’s all about serving people food they want to eat regularly in an environment that makes them feel good.
“This is a labour of love and has taken a lot of my learnings from throughout my career. It needs to feel like a complete one-of, so no, there won’t be any more.”
Watson said his latest project Our/London vodka had taken him into completely new areas.
The project is a collaboration with Pernod Ricard and involves producers in cities around the world working from a global Our/Vodka recipe to create their own brand.
Watson and collaborator Neil Chivers have taken a site in Hackney, which will include tasting facilities, a bar and space for events.
He said: “It’s an incredibly exciting project. It’s a new way of looking at a product and of launching it.
“We will be in charge of distributing it and we are part of an amazing network of partners across the world.”
