Brasserie Bar Co plans hotel restaurants

By Emma Eversham

- Last updated on GMT

Brasserie Blanc, the restaurant brand which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is looking to collaborate with hotels
Brasserie Blanc, the restaurant brand which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is looking to collaborate with hotels

Related tags White brasserie company Brasserie blanc Marco pierre white

Brasserie Bar Co, operator of Brasserie Blanc and White Brasserie Company, is looking to open restaurants in hotels as part of its growth strategy.

The company, led by CEO Mark Derry and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will open its 19th Brasserie Blanc restaurant, in Fulham Reach, this year and is rapidly building up its pub estate with 13 currently operating under the White Brasserie Company arm.

However, Derry told BigHospitality in a video interview that the company was looking at 'greater opportunities' outside its existing offering and was exploring collaborations with hotels for Brasserie Blanc.

"We think it's a great fit and there are properties available," he said.

"You have to have a property strategy these days. It’s not good enough to turn up in Southampton and think everything’s going to be alright.

"The landlords, on the whole in places like shopping centres, are more avaricious and more difficult to deal with and there are more and more restaurants going into those things as retail moves off the high street and onto the internet, so you must have a property strategy that differentiates you from other people if you’re going to make progress."

Brasserie Blanc isn't the first restaurant group to see potential within hotels. Last year Carluccio's opened its first site​ within a hotel, at the London Marriott Regents Park, following Jamie's Italian, who opened at restaurant at the Hilton on London's Tooley Street in 2015. Black and White Hospitality has also created a number of restaurant brands with chef Marco Pierre White with the majority operating under franchise with hotels.

Pubs and restaurants

While collaboration with hotels is being considered, pubs still present large opportunities for the business, Derry said.

The White Brasserie Company, named pub company of the year at Restaurant's R200 Awards last year, now has 13 pubs in operation with a 14th to open in Essex this year.

"On the pub front the opportunities are enormous. There are 60,000 odd pubs and each one of those probably offers an opportunity. We see that as a chance to grow and develop."

The 19th Brasserie Blanc restaurant will also open this year in the former Haig Distillery in the new St George residential and leisure development on the Thames waterfront, near Hammersmith Bridge.

The site, designed by Jordan Littler and serving the restaurant's group's menu designed by its executive chef Clive Fretwell, will span 3,175 square feet offering 120 covers inside with an additional 50 covers on the terrace. 
 
“It is exciting to be opening a new Brasserie Blanc in London," said Derry "The Fulham Reach development is impressive and the site we are taking is set to be a show-stopper with a central bar surrounded by more than 100 dining covers.  We are all looking forward to opening the doors of the new Brasserie Blanc in May.”

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