Giraffe to open first Tesco restaurant, plans 10 in a year

The first Giraffe on a Tesco site will open in the Watford Tesco Extra on 5 August. The 170-cover restaurant will have its own separate entrance but shoppers will also be able to access the dining are from the store itself.

Wider audience​

Revealing details of the restaurant's launch, Russel Joffe, co-founder and managing director of Giraffe Concepts, said: “We are delighted to be opening our very first giraffe within a Tesco store. This is an exciting first step in the growth of the brand and allows us to introduce Giraffe to a wider audience.

"Over the next 12 months, we plan to open 10 restaurants in Tesco stores and five new restaurants on the high street."

Tesco announced that it had bought a 100 per cent stake in the restaurant chain in March. In a deal worth £48.6m, co-founders Russel and Juliette Joffe and Andrew Jacobs sold their combined stake of around 54 per cent however they were retained by Tesco, along with the management team, to lead the future development of the brand.

Watford​

The 3,424sq.ft site in Watford will trade all day offering the group's signature family-friendly, global dishes from breakfast to dinner.

Two of Giraffe's key deals - Lunch for Less (£6.25 for a main) and Feel Good (£9.95 for two courses) - will remain on the menu in the new restaurant. All the dishes will use fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from British producers where possible.

The restaurant itself will feature an 'earthy' design with wood paneling and booth seating surrounded by potted plants. Two 10ft-tall giraffes will greet diners as the walk through the entrance and 30-cover alfresco seating area.