Plans by Sir Terence Conran to launch a new chain of eateries have been stalled by delays to improvement works in Heddon Street, W1, where the first restaurant will be located.
Conran Restaurants is laying the blame at the door of Crown Estates. The company is claiming that it cannot begin fitting out the property until the road works – scheduled for completion last May – are finished. Work has not yet started.
Also in May, Conran won consent to turn 19-21 Heddon Street into a 604 sq m (6,500 sq ft) restaurant, to be known as the Zinc Bar & Grill. The eaterie, with space for 140 diners, will rival the Cafe Rouge chain of French-style restaurants.
A spokeman for Conran Restaurants said: “It is a cul-de-sac, and as you can imagine we would not be able to get any of our vehicles into the street to deliver and we cannot run a restaurant with road works going on outside.”
Crown Estates told EGi it was ready to go ahead, but was waiting for the all-clear from Westminster Council which was planning how to deal with utilities which would be affected by the disturbance.
Conran’s spokeman confirmed that it is the company’s intention to launch the Zinc Bar & Grill as a chain. She said: “We will assess the success of the Heddon Street branch before deciding whether to expand.
EGi News 12/12/96
