Chinatown London welcomes trio of F&B brands

Shaftesbury Capital has welcomed a trio of food and beverage operators to its Chinatown London estate.

Chinese tea brand HYTEA will open at 118-120 Shaftesbury Avenue this summer, taking a 2,600 sq ft unit. It will serve a range of fruit and milk teas, as well as matcha. The addition of HEYTEA will extend the destination’s collection of modern tea concepts – including the likes of Happy Lemon, Tsujiri, and Woo Tea.

This signing coincides with the launch of Arôme Bakery at 92 Shaftesbury Avenue. Led by co-founders Alix Andre and Ellen Chew, the artisan bakery occupies a 900 sq ft space and stocks a selection of French-Asian-inspired baked goods.

Meanwhile Pan-Asian restaurant Kawan by Uncle Roger recently debuted at 12 Macclesfield Stree. The restaurant spans approximately 1,600 sq ft and serves a menu of Asian cuisines and family-style dishes, reinterpreted through a modern British lens.

Emma Matus, head of restaurant leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Chinatown London’s reputation as the go-to for an authentic ESEA F&B line-up is so important; it means potential new brands and restaurateurs know what we’re looking for, and visitors are absolutely spoilt for choice. The additions of HEYTEA, Arôme, and Kawan by Uncle Roger reflect our drive to balance the offer with both heritage and trend-led concepts, as we support new formats, debut locations, and entrepreneurs that know what resonates with our visitors.”  

Ellen Chew, co-founder at Arôme, added: “Arôme remains one of London’s most sought-after bakeries, and our recent Chinatown London launch reminds us that we boast a dedicated customer base that loves what we do. It’s important to us that we operate from the best locations, and there is no question that we have launched in the prime place for meaningful brand expansion.”

These lettings follow the debut of hand-pulled noodle restaurant, SanHao, which comes from the same restaurateurs behind Kawan by Uncle Roger, Hong Kong-style café The Eight, and Pan-Asian concept, YiQi. Located in a key 3,000 sq ft unit, the menu focuses on traditional noodle dishes, including Ban Mian and soups.