Dine in style
Published: 15 October, 2008
When Westfield London opens on October 30 it will feature around 50 different eating and drinking operators compared with approximately 270 retailers, highlighting a strong emphasis on the leisure component of its new London facility.
This is justifiable, according to Jonathan Doughty, group managing director of catering consultancy Coverpoint, who says the food and drink element has taken up around 4 per cent of the space in centres in the past whereas it's now around 10 per cent. Doughty forecasts that this proportion will rise to 15 per cent over the next three years.
The mix in London is based on the experience of Westfield around the world. Rachel Belam, leasing executive at Westfield with responsibility for food and drink, says: "We recognised that in shopping centres it's no longer enough to buy clothes; it's about lifestyle, so we're providing food in various formats: from a quick, impulse take-away to a full sit-down meal."
Chris Brown, director of food consultancy Turpin Smale, agrees: "There's a whole move to eating out and the trend for this in shopping centres is going only one way."
The Westfield London food and drink offer is concentrated within a number of defined areas, each with its own design features. The Balcony has a mix of lounge areas, leather banquettes, shared tables and low-rise small tables. The food is served on china, and drinks come in glass. To cope with the 1,000 covers, customers will be provided with personal buzzers that notify them when their food is ready to collect from the 13 different food counters.
These counters highlight just how eclectic is the mix that Belam has attracted to the mall. As well as some recognised names including Yo! Sushi there are also lesser-known operations such as Bamboo Basket, Croque Gascon and Comptoir Libanais, all unique concepts that have been specially developed for Westfield London by successful restaurateurs.
It's a similar story in the The Loft, which sits on a mezzanine area next to the 12-screen cinema and comprises a combination of recognisable names such as Nando's.
The Loft restaurants look onto the centre's impressive central atrium, at the bottom of which is the first British unit for Dublin-based Butlers Chocolates.
Another key restaurant area is the 300-metre long outdoor Southern Terrace along which are 17 units that will be open until midnight, six days a week, and operate on a combination of ground and upper levels.
Although Westfield could have potentially let these external-facing units at greater rentals to retailers, it has sought to enhance the ambience and the facilities at the centre by assigning them to restaurants, according to Belam, who says the company is pleased once again to offer a first, in the form of the modern European Ito from well-regarded restaurateur Tom Etridge.
She is also proud of the maiden UK opening for Australia-based The Meat & Wine Co, which represents the most formal restaurant in Westfield London and covers 10,500 sq ft over two floors.
When this is combined with the Searcys 1847-operated 35-seat champagne bar in the centre's exclusive Village, it indicates the upper-end consumer that Westfield is looking to satisfy and highlights how its offer covers the full spectrum from the highest to the more mainstream price points.
Doughty says: "Westfield has the broadest proposition in any shopping centre in Europe. There is nothing else like it. But I'm not at all surprised by this, because Westfield always shoots for the highest complexity of food mix; no half measures."
