Media & Insights

Landsec grows dining and retail offer at Victoria, London

21 September 2022

Landsec has announced over 25,000 sq ft of leasing deals across Victoria, London, as demand for prime hospitality and retail space grows. With office workers and tourists returning to central London, Victoria is increasingly becoming the prime destination for hospitality and retail brands looking to expand. 

Incipio have chosen Victoria to launch their eighth dining concept, The Palm House, as part of their plans to grow their presence across the capital. The team behind Pergola and Lost in Brixton are experts at crafting beautiful spaces and creating unforgettable experiences, making the 10,100 sq ft Miami-themed venue perfect for socialising. Split across two floors, guests will be able to choose from a range of spaces, including a Miami clubhouse on the ground floor, private dining rooms and an immersive Cuban-themed ‘hangout’ upstairs.

Social enterprise Change Please will take 560 sq ft at Cardinal Place. The award-winning coffee company uses 100% of its profits to help people experiencing homelessness in Victoria, by training them to become specialty coffee baristas and supporting them with everything that they need to turn their lives around – including a living wage job, housing, therapy, a bank account and onward employment opportunities. In Victoria, Change Please have partnered with charities including The Passage, Single Homeless Project and Cyrenians to provide support for the local community.

Meanwhile, the international casual dining chain Five Guys will open a 4,000 sq ft restaurant in Cardinal Place as they seek to accelerate their UK expansion plans. Casa do Frango will bring the spirit of southern Portugal to Victoria with their authentic Piri-Piri Chicken, in a deal which sees them take 4,500 sq ft at Nova Food.

The growth of Victoria’s leisure and hospitality offer follows a series of retail deals in the area, including athleisure brand Sweaty Betty, who opened a 2,250 sq ft store earlier in the summer and Barclays Bank, who have taken just under 4,000 sq ft. 

Nik Porter, Head of Retail Brand Account Management at Landsec said: “Over the past few months, we’ve seen sustained demand for space across Nova and Cardinal Place. At both locations, our brand partners benefit from the high levels of tourism in the surrounding areas, plus a strong catchment of office workers and residents, cementing Victoria as the go-to destination for brands looking to expand within the capital.” 

“Thanks to our new strategy, we’re well positioned to work with brands who are looking to grow, helping them to drive their performance and creating value for their businesses as well as the local economy.” 

Mark Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Sweaty Betty said: “We were thrilled to open a shop in Victoria’s vibrant community this summer, mere steps away from Sweaty Betty’s new Support Office headquarters. This new store solidifies Sweaty Betty’s presence in this area and serves as a go-to destination for fitness and wellness enthusiasts. We love being in the centre of London and the store is already performing above expectations.”

Ed Devenport, CEO of Incipio said: “After announcing our ambitious growth plans earlier this year, we’re delighted to be making our debut in Victoria. As our footprint grows, we’re looking to partner with businesses who understand the value of working together to deliver vibrant, successful spaces so that we can continue to bring our elevated dining concept to new audiences.” 

Cemal Ezel, Founder and CEO at Change Please said: “Much of the support we provide is funded by the profits we make through our coffee shops, so securing the right location in a high footfall area is key. Our new space in the heart of central London will allow us to provide even more living wage barista roles for local people experiencing homelessness. Working with Landsec as a key partner is invaluable for our mission to grow and to support more people out of homelessness whilst providing an outstanding coffee and food offer."

Edward Power, Property Acquisition Manager at Five Guys said: “We’re investing in new locations across the UK, and we identified Victoria as a priority area for us. Partnering with Landsec has allowed us to expand into another exciting London market and bring Five Guys to the thousands of people who live, work and play there.”

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