First food operators open at Chinatown's Central Cross development
It follows the social media success of the area’s waffle shop Bubblewrap - with videos of the creations reaching 21m views on Time Out London and 12m on BuzzFeed UK’s Facebook page.
New openings at Central Cross include the European debut for fruit dessert brand Guo C 100, which has over 350 sites across China, South Korea, the USA and Australia.
The group has taken a 530 sq ft two-storey space, where it will serve Cantonese mango pancakes; durian and mango milk puddings; and shaved ice topped with fruit.
Traditional Japanese tea brand Tsujiri, which was founded in Kyoto in 1860, has also opened a 30-cover site offering a range of matcha green tea alongside Japanese desserts.
Chinese dessert and snack bar Roro will join the development later this month, serving made-to-order Jianbing and desserts.
“Asian desserts and sweet treats have enjoyed huge popularity within Chinatown London, as evidenced by the incredible popularity of brands such as Bubblewrap and its queues that snake down Wardour Street,” says Julia Wilkinson, head of group restaurant strategy at Shaftesbury.
“Not only do they attract new visitors, they create a real buzz amongst consumers, particularly on social media, which helps to raise awareness of the exciting and innovative range of food and experiences available in Chinatown London.”
The 48,000 sq ft Central Cross scheme was announced last year and is set to include seven new restaurants spread across three floors.
Shaftesbury, which is the landlord for the majority of Chinatown, said in 2017 it was seeking mix of Chinese and East Asian operators to take units at the scheme.
