Coqfighter to grow dark kitchen network with more permanent sites also planned
Later this month the group will open two new delivery-only kitchens in Notting Hill and Chiswick, respectively, which will give it access to the Notting Hill, Bayswater, Paddington, Kensington, Earls Court, Hammersmith, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kilburn, Shepherds Bush, Belgravia, Chiswick, White City and Acton catchment areas.
It will launch its first regional dark kitchen location in Birmingham in April.
Coqfighter says it is now planning to further expand its dark kitchen network as well as its restaurant estate, both in the capital and regionally, and is actively in the process of looking for additional bricks and mortar sites.
“The pandemic has obviously been devastating for our industry," explains Troy Sawyer, who founded Coqfighter with friends Deacon Rose and Tristan Clough in 2014.
"We switched to a delivery foc us very very early, quite simply because we didn’t have cash reserves to sit on like some operators. What we discovered is that being able to reach into people’s homes and put food on their table provided massive comfort in difficult times.
"It was their way of treating themselves and very quickly we have reached a huge new audience. It’s an honour to take people’s minds off things and provide some comforts, that’s kind of the way we see it. If the people can’t come to you, you have to go to the people, so we’ll keep doing that until times change.”
Coqfighter has proactively sought to both maintain and expand operations throughout the pandemic.
Prior to the first national lockdown it operated two Boxpark sites in Croydon and Shoreditch, as well as a full-service restaurant on Beak Street in Soho.
In June last year it opened its second permanent site, described as a 'neighbourhood takeaway shop', in Brockley.
It has established delivery-only dark kitchens in Crouch Hill, Leyton and Wandsworth.
Last summer Coqfighter also launched a vegan fast food sister concept, Mercy Burger, which operates out of Boxpark Shoreditch.
