British Land and Eataly, the Italian marketplace, have announced that Eataly is to open its first UK location at Broadgate’s 135 Bishopsgate in 2020. Eataly has signed an agreement for lease for 42,000 sq ft on the ground and first floors of the building.
Eataly’s original idea is very simple: to gather all the high-quality Italian foods under one roof, where you can eat, shop and learn. With a selection of the best Italian products, restaurants, bars, quick services, exciting on-site production laboratories, and a cooking school, Eataly will add to the already popular restaurant and bar offering at Broadgate, bringing many opportunities to learn about Italian food and culture though courses, guided tastings, demonstrations and special events.
The letting marks yet another positive step in Broadgate’s evolution into a mixed-use neighbourhood for London, and sets the tone for the world class retail destination that British Land is delivering at the campus.
135 Bishopsgate’s refurbishment is part of British Land’s wider focus on enhancing the environment for Broadgate’s workers and visitors and attracting businesses from a range of sectors to the campus. The upgraded building will deliver high quality office space for occupiers, who will benefit from a roof terrace with views over London, as well as an in-house catering offer and a café, both provided by Eataly. British Land is making significant improvements to the public realm on Bishopsgate, one of London’s busiest streets.
Eataly’s marketplace will be accessible from both Bishopsgate and Broadgate’s Exchange Square which is due to be transformed into a new park for the campus. These additional entrances will significantly improve the campus’ permeability and its connections with the lively surrounding areas of Spitalfields and Shoreditch.
Claire Barber, Head of Central London Retail and Meadowhall, British Land said: “Eataly’s decision to take space at Broadgate is a fantastic endorsement of British Land’s strategy to create a vibrant, world class neighbourhood at the campus.
“Along with arrival of the Elizabeth Line at 100 Liverpool Street this year, and the high quality retail space due to open at 100 Liverpool Street in 2019, Eataly will really put Broadgate on the map as an exciting destination for Londoners to enjoy seven days a week.”
Luca Baffigo, CEO, Eataly said: “Visiting Borough Market before opening our first Eataly in Italy was a source of great inspiration for our concept. This is why opening a place in London where people can buy, eat and learn is a very important and exciting milestone for us. Being able to bring our model into a place that is so significant for us fills us with satisfaction and stimulates us to create in London a wonderful multifunctional experience.”
This letting is the most recent in a series of commitments from a range of occupiers at Broadgate, including cyber security and data management company Mimecast, which is taking 79,000 sq ft at 1FA (currently undergoing a major refurbishment), and Japanese bank SMBCE which is taking 161,000 sq ft at 100 Liverpool Street.
Cushman & Wakefield have recently published a report on the rapid expansion of food halls across London and Europe.
Thomas Rose, Head of Leisure & Restaurants at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Cushman & Wakefield research shows that there are over 16 Food Halls planned for London over the next four years, this totals over 300,000 sq ft of space. There has been a huge amount of negative press about the demise of casual dining but where the real problem lies is a lack of experience. Those food and beverage brands which are providing a great experience are trading well and we predict this will continue.
“The new generation of food halls have experience at the very core of their DNA. The consumer is craving interaction, experience and excitement and this is the future of food and beverage. Consumers are moving towards an experience based economy and Food Halls are definitely one part of this dynamic and exciting new food and beverage landscape.”
