Thunderbird on track for four new sites
The Trispan-backed wings and fried chicken concept, which currently operates eateries in Charing Cross, Earls Court, The O2 and Westfield Stratford, is currently designing a restaurant that will open in The Bentall Centre, in Kingston, this summer.
A 25-cover grab and go format in Putney is also expected to open within the same timeframe, the company’s CEO Paul Gilchrist told MCA, BigHospitality's sister site.
The news comes as Thunderbird prepares to launch a 1,500 sq ft 25-cover site in Clapham Junction next Wednesday (9 February), and a 40-cover restaurant at the former Creams British Luxury site in The Broadway near Franco Manca and Tortilla in April.
It also just three weeks after the brand teamed up with Jurys Inn, opening a delivery site in the Milton Keynes hotel as part of a six-month trial and test site for the Jury’s Inn joint venture.
“It’s been quite an interesting set-up, it’s quite revolutionary,” Gilchrist told MCA.
“We built a Thunderbird Kitchen inside their kitchen… so we trained their team, they came to us - all their senior team - then our team went to work with them and we set the whole process up through Deliveroo…
“It’s gone phenomenally well, the first couple of weeks it’s just skyrocketed…The idea is if both parties are happy and the process works then we will roll it out through their estate. It’s early days, we’re only three weeks in, the first signs are very good.”
Gilchrist also confirmed the business would open an additional three franchise sites with Parkdean Resorts: Vauxhall in Great Yarmouth, Ruda in Devon and Southview in Skegness following the successful tie-up at Parkdean’s Camber Sands and Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Porthcawl, south Wales last year.
“By the time we get into May, we’ll have five operating with them under licence and under franchise,” he added.
