Old Chang Kee to open second London site
The 30-cover restaurant will feature an interior design inspired by a typical Singaporean kopitiam – an old-style Asian coffee shop – and feature displays of ‘old Singaporean paraphernalia’, storytelling the heritage of the brand’s food.
Established in 1956, Old Chang Kee has more than 100 outlets internationally across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.
The brand, which specialises in curry puffs (a twist on the British pasty invented during Singapore’s colonial era), opened its first UK site in Covent Garden last year following a sold-out pop-up in Kentish Town in 2017.
“We are thrilled to bring another slice of Singapore to London,” says Sandra Leong, director of Old Chang Kee UK.
“Our famous curry puffs have been well received since we opened last year in Covent Garden, even dubbed the ‘best pastry in London’ by Giles Coren of The Times.
“Our grab-and-go Singapore hawker meals such as curry chicken and laksa have also proven to be very popular with working and student crowds, so this new location will allow us to introduce our food to more London foodies.”
Property agents Shelley Sandzer acted for Old Change Kee to secure the site.
“[Old Chang Kee’s] offer is incredibly popular with a diverse audience, from tourists, to students, to office workers, and Goodge Street is the ideal spot for their expansion,” says Tony Levine, leasing agent at Shelley Sandzer.
Fast-casual Mexican chain Benito’s Hat closed both its Goodge Street and Highcross sites earlier this year.
The chain’s operator Pico’s Ltd subsequently entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) after suffering cashflow problems and slower than expected maturity of new stores.
