Seven Dials to welcome WatchHouse and Anita
Shaftesbury has announced that WatchHouse and Anita are to join the retail line-up at St. Martin’s Lane in London’s Seven Dials.
WatchHouse has signed for a 1,200 square foot unit at number 7 for its latest ‘modern coffee house’ concept while boutique ice cream parlour Anita has taken a 1,000 square foot space at number 4 for its UK debut.
Due to open in August, the WatchHouse coffee and brunch venue will span two levels and will be driven by the brand’s new central production system, which allows all seasonal coffee roasting and food production to be created and overseen in-house.
Roland Horne, chief executive and founder of WatchHouse, said: “We were very particular when selecting the locations in which to expand our brand, and Seven Dials’ outstanding culinary names and artisan-focused atmosphere was a standout choice for us. The WatchHouse team has been resilient and resourceful throughout this challenging time for hospitality, which has allowed us to revolutionise our production methods and develop an even more holistic and sustainably sourced offering. We look forward to working with Shaftesbury to deliver our distinctive ‘modern coffee’ experience amongst this unique space on Upper St Martin’s Lane.”
Meanwhile, Anita will open in early 2022 and will offer ice cream, sorbets and frozen yoghurts in over 150 different flavours with organic sugar-free, vegan and soy-based varieties. The international brand now has branches in Sydney, Barcelona, New York, Tel Aviv and Puerto Rico, as well as a specialist production factory in Italy.
Julia Wilkinson, restaurant director at Shaftesbury, said: “As the West End springs back to life, it is a very exciting period for independent brands like WatchHouse and Anita to make their debut. Both of these operators align with the rise of mindful consumption which the pandemic has prompted, and the deals reflect our curated leasing approach which ensures there is always something unique to discover across the Seven Dials neighbourhood.”
