High Street Update
Rumours that Côte Brasserie are moving to Teddington have not been greatly exaggerated – the popular “authentic classic brasserie” chain will be taking over the Royal Oak site – a new lease was signed on Monday and the last day open will be this Thursday 21st so if you’re a regular, be sure to give them a good sending off!
Côte currently have restaurants nearby in Kingston and Richmond and are usually open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The plan is currently to open after approximately one month’s refurbishment. The company is recruiting for various positions for the new venue.
Nearby Girasole are currently closed for remodelling as Retro Bistrot managed to do during their usual summer holiday (now open again). Mela Mela are also taking a well-deserved break until the 31st of August, as are Fallow Deer until the 27th – when they’re back you can join them on Friday’s 6-11pm for cocktails, wines and craft beers.
art-8 recently opened on Broad Street – the salon has one other branch already in Richmond and using 100% organic hair colour their aim is to produce the best haircuts enhanced with the best colour products, with 25% discount offers for new customers.
Teddington’s newest independent coffee house & deli, Gosia’s opened last month and demand has been brisk from traditional English breakfasts, artisan patisseries, omelettes salads take-away lunches and delicatessen items. In addition to the unique interior design, unusual dishes include freshly prepared popular Polish specialities such as Pierogi and Bigos. Specialist coffees and teas are also on offer and some have already called the spot their new favourite place!
The fight against Sainsbury’s Local moving to the High Street continues – many locals involved in the original objections don’t realise that unanimous decision was actually overturned by the planning inspectorate who dismissed traffic surveys, comparisons to Twickenham Sainsbury’s Local and most importantly the A1 food/drink restriction on this site.
LBRUT are being urged to express their disappointment in the ruling and local campaigners are again going to fight the case in the courts on legal grounds currently out of their own pockets. Most recent update on the campaign can be found here, fund-raising events to follow, in the meantime donations can be made via their YouCaring page.
A recent article “Why Don’t We Like Multiple Grocers Anymore? Ask Teddington” by Mary Portas is quite apt because a Sainsbury’s Local is also planned for the re-developed building at 210 Kingston Road.
How sad! Another high price, low quality chain invading the High Street.
I just had my hair done at Art8. It is the best colour I’ve had in a long time. Charlotte did exactly as I asked. She cut my daughter’s (4 yr old) hair whilst the colour was setting and then followed up with a cut for myself. All for £105! I’m so pleased and want others to go, to ensure it stays for a long time! Really recommend.
I agree I find this a bit depressing. I disagree it’s low quality, it’s actually quite good – we’re not talking Cafe Uno – but it is a chain, and for all the Royal Oak’s 10-year long failed search for an identity, at least it was independent. But once a chain forever a chain: give it 3 years and it’ll be a Sainsbury’s Local.
phil, you snob, have you ever actually eaten in a Cote? And Mike T, you’re a snob as well: “Ooooh, it’s a chain, how terrible!” The King’s Head is part of a chain, too, if you hadn’t noticed, but I bet you don’t let that put you off paying £40 or £50-plus a head to eat there.
For a long time The Kings Head has been one of only 2 White Brasseries – the 3rd has only just opened – and their HQ is opposite so it’s only just a chain and it’s had a lot of ‘special attention’ to keep standards up that bigger chains don;t get. But yes eventually it will be like every other chain. I probably am a snob Terry but my point was not that I find chain restaurants depressing per se (I eat in them all the time) but that the town is being colonised by them and other retail chains. Eventually everywhere that has a Cote, Carluccios, Starbucks and Cook starts to look like every other town that has a Cote, Carluccios, Starbucks and Cook. The High Street still has a distinctive personality, but every independent that is replaced by a chain degrades that a little bit more.
Why does eating in local restaurants rather than chains make me a snob? How big is the chip on your shoulder? Chain restaurants often use cheap labour and cheap ingredients yet still charge higher prices than the equivalent independent. They also oversell the extras – Cote adds a 12.5% service charge to all bills. Do any of the independents do that? No, they treat their customers with more respect.
And actually I do use chains at times, though am never particularly impressed with them.
I am not sure independent retailers are paying their staff more,and also are not trying to maximise their profits by using cheaper ingredients whenever possible/hidden way. I guess they run a business like anybody else, as opposed to a public service, and it’s always down to profits for the owner.
Stop squabbling you lot! Teddington rocks!