“Guava Kitchen” on former Santander site

I see there’s an application for ‘Guava Kitchen’ in the former Santander on London Road. Licensed bar and restaurant according to the sign in the door.

Can’t see anything on google in terms of something named like that so guess a new start-up - good luck to them - suspect they would have done a roaring trade today!

“The Guava Kitchen is a chic, upmarket plant-based Deli offering authentic vegetarian and vegan cuisine. The business will primarily be a Grab & Go service but will also provide dining for approximately 34 customers over two floors.”

If it’s the same one sounds great!

Possible Start: 12/08/2019

That’s not far away!

Great to hear of new openings… like our new zero waste shop at Beetroot and Beans and the amazing Sushi Garden.

Now if we could only get a bakery.

I don’t see anything on Lewisham’s planning website (yet).

From the job adverts it looks like they’re relying a lot on apprentice staff:

2 apprentice commis chefs
2 apprentice front of house waiting staff
1 apprentice kitchen porter

They’re also advertising for a sous chef and barista.

(The adverts seem to be duplicated under the name of a company called Babcock International, which is odd because that’s a military engineering company.)

Also gleaned from the adverts:

“The successful candidates will have the opportunity to support an award-winning Michelin trained Head Chef and a newly appointed Sous Chef, in our new vegetarian, vegan café / deli based in South East London. We are looking for someone who is passionate about discovering how to prepare international foods using vegetarian and vegan recipes.”

And they intend to open 7 days a week.

No Twitter account, no Facebook presence, no website. They really need a social media advisor - but these things don’t come cheap…

Maybe not. SE23.LIFE seems to be doing a good job for them, and the location is busy - they will be noticed.

Looks like they have a recruitment arm, specialising in apprentices and trainees - the job ad is reproduced on their site here:

Perhaps Guava Kitchen might have a sound ethos, as well as being chic and upmarket?

Companies House might hold a clue.

No, I looked.

‘The Guava Kitchen’ exists but relates to tourist guide services.

‘Red Guava Kitchen Ltd’ sounds a bit more promising: incorporated in May 2019 and the nature of business is ‘Other food services’. But the address is in East London and the name isn’t exactly the same, so it might be red herring (no pun intended).

That building is not disabled friendly and if they hope to open on 12 August there is presumably no time for modifications such as a ramp replacing the steps?

I don’t see how they would accommodate a ramp without giving up a large part of the interior - the floor level is quite a bit higher than the pavement and a ramp from the pavement to the door would be too steep.

I don’t envisage them opening in August. They might need change of use planning permission (from A2 Professional and Financial Services to A3 Restaurants and Cafes) or at least Prior Approval relating to noise, odour, waste collection, impact of the hours of opening, transport and highways impact etc. I assume they’ll need to install a kitchen extractor and flue; waste collection will be an issue; and if they’re thinking of doing deliveries then there will be questions about vehicles.

That’s not going to happen in 3 weeks.

This would be great if it really does become a decent veggie restaurant! Would be a great addition to the area! But agreed, that timescale looks a bit unrealistic…

Sounds ambitious. I hope they pay their digital marketing team promptly and handsomely, would be a shame if they disappeared before opening.

Then again in all seriousness does a vegan joint really need a Twitter profile? I’d be keen to give it a go.

Still nothing on Lewisham’s planning webpages but maybe that means Prior Approval applications are decided by the Planning Department and aren’t published to the public for comment, in which case a mid-August opening might not be overoptimistic after all.

Nosing around the internet I found they’ve applied for a Premises Licence for alcohol (9:00-23:00 Mon-Sun) and, more interestingly, there’s also an application by the Co-Op for Stanstead Road (the old Maplins site). Is that the first definite confirmation that the Co-Op are moving to that site? I remember someone posted that Co-Op were considering moving there when they get kicked out of the Waldram Park Road site.

Links straight to a licensing applications pdf on Lewisham’s website.

Good spot, @blushingsnail

From the document:

image1023×325 64.7 KB

Confused…It says sale of alcohol on or ‘off’ the premises.
from 9am to 11.30pm-is it an off license? or a bar?
I thought it was going to be a juice and healthy food kind of place.

Continues: The Guava Kitchen Opens tomorrow!