Shaftesbury introduces dedicated incubation space in Chinatown
Shaftesbury has launched a new pop-up incubation space in London’s Chinatown.
Designed to host emerging brands on a short-term basis, the unit on Little Newport Street is situated next to Charing Cross Road and opposite Leicester Square station.
Due to its location, the space will focus on creators of authentic East and Southeast Asian products.
The first occupant is wheelcake expert, Dragon Cat Café. The brand was founded in 2018 and sells bubble teas and an array of hot and cold Taiwanese snacks. Classic flavours such as red bean, matcha and vanilla custard will be on offer together with new creations such as Oreo cheesecake and cheeseburger wheelcakes.
Cynthia Lee, co-founder of Dragon Cat Café, said: “Being part of Chinatown London is something that simply wouldn’t have been achievable for us were it not for the support of Shaftesbury. Not just that, but they’ve put us in a unit within sight of Leicester Square station, which is incredible, so we are delighted to be enticing the huge number of tourists, workers, and locals with the scent of wheelcakes.”
Dragon Cat Café has joined 25 debut concepts and 46 independent brands in Chinatown.
Julia Wilkinson, restaurant director at Shaftesbury, added: “Nurturing emerging brands has long been a key part of Shaftesbury’s strategy, and Chinatown London has a great history of doing just that; dozens of our existing tenants trialled their concepts here, and many have since taken further sites across the portfolio and elsewhere.
“Dragon Cat Café is the latest brand to bring authentic East Asian sweet and savoury treats here, and we look forward to supporting them on their journey, as well as the other innovative operators that will pop-up here in the years to come.”
