Mark Gurney on having to close Larry's after just four days
Speaking on BigHospiality's latest United We Stand podcast, Gurney described the situation as "bittersweet".
"We could see lockdown coming. We opened on Monday evening and closed it on Thursday lunchtime. It's probably the shortest restaurant opening ever," he says.
"We hadn't started PR and we were still in the early stages of getting nuts and bolts tightened. We can open again and hopefully do a bit a of a press run when we're back to the new normal."
The trio's largest restaurant Levan - in Peckham - is likely to open first, followed by Larry's and then finally Salon, which is located in Brixton.
"There's only three of us and we can't be everywhere at once. Part time furlough will be a big help in getting people back in the business as and when we need them," says Gurney.
Open throughout the day, Larry's is next door to Levan and will take its cues from the corner bars, diners and cafes of New York.
Like Levan, Larry’s is named for 1970s dance music pioneer and DJ Larry Levan.
Billed as its neighbour's "naughty little sibling", it will stay open late into the night with a menu that includes potato latkes with smoked cod’s roe; salt beef beignets; and devilled crab, brown crab mayo, pickled fennel and bruschetta.
#UnitedWeStand has been created by William Reed hospitality titles BigHospitality, Restaurant magazine and Morning Advertiser and is supported by Britvic, CocaCola European Partners and Unilever Food Solutions.
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