FishWorks, the fish restaurant-cum-fishmongers chain, has bought its first new outlet since it was rescued early last by restaurant entrepreneur Gary Ashworth and former Pizza Express chairman Luke Johnson.
The group grew rapidly after it was founded in Bath in 1994 by Mitchell Tonks but over-expansion during 2005 and 2006 saw its share price slump from 50p to 10p by early 2007, when the new owners stepped in.
The new site is a lock-up period unit in the exclusive Swallow Street just off Piccadilly in London where it sits alongside Gaucho and the exclusive Bentley’s restaurant.
The ground floor unit covers 2,180sq ft, which can accommodate more than 100 seats. FishWorks is continuing to look for high-quality units in and around London.
Restaurant Property acted for FishWorks in securing a brand new lease with an annual rent of £135,000. Shelley Sandzer represented the vendors.
By Angela Frewin