VQ 24-hour diner plans roll-out
The diner, which currently has two London sites in Chelsea and Bloomsbury, has secured funding for its roll-out from entrepreneur Richard Northcott, founder of B&Q and Pets at Home.
VQ has seen a 24 per cent uplift in its like-for-like sales since its rebrand in 2012, after becoming an independent business in 2011. It is on the back of this success that the concept will be rolled out firstly across London, and then the rest of the UK.
Managing director Simon Prideaux told BigHospitality that the company is currently seeking a site for its third diner, looking at areas like Shoreditch, Waterloo, Borough, Clapham, Notting Hill and Islington.
“Firstly we’re looking to expand the VQ concept within London,” said Prideaux. “Then we’ll look outside London at most major UK cities, and further down the line there’s potential that we could expand internationally.
“We want to grow as quick as we feasibly can and we would like to open another VQ every nine months to a year. With the wheels in motion, we’ll open VQs as quick as we can find the sites for them.”
All of the VQ sites will have the same menu, but the interiors will be decorated differently depending on location.
Catering for every lifestyle
The newly rebranded VQ aims to appeal to a wide variety of customers leading different lifestyles. The fact that the diners are open 24 hours a day allows them to access a late night market with fewer competitors.
“We believe there’s a big, untapped, 24-hour dining market,” explained Prideaux. “There are people who want to eat at all different times of day and night and we want to cater for them. Not everybody wants to have lunch at 1pm, or breakfast at 8am, so we offer those meals at all times, meaning we can cater for a wide variety of lifestyles.
“The concept is successful because it’s convenient, good quality, good value and good service. We can appeal to families, business men and women, tourists, night clubbers, and those who work late hours. We’re open and ready for anyone at any time.”
