Giggling Squid, the fast growing restaurant chain which introduced the ‘Thai Tapas’ concept to Britain, is to open in Horsham, West Sussex on 17 April. The new restaurant located on Horsham’s “Eat Street” at the site previously operated by Giraffe, will by followed by additional venues in Maidstone and Sevenoaks in Kent this summer.
The move represents a long-held ambition to add Horsham to its growing portfolio of restaurants across the South East. Horsham residents, who frequent the Crawley branch, 8 miles away, have petitioned Andy to open in the town for some time.
“We always thought there was a gap in the market in the town where we’ve been looking for a site for the three years,” said Andy Laurillard of Giggling Squid, who added, “Horsham is a great place to be and, since it was pedestrianised, East Street has become one of the most attractive eating locations in the Weald, rivalling Brighton as a destination for food lovers.”
Becoming the nation’s first national Thai chain
The three new openings will take the Giggling Squid group to eleven restaurants, as it bids to become the nation’s first national Thai chain.
Maidstone is expected to be operational in June, followed by Sevenoaks in July. The company is also in advanced negotiations for two additional sites and in early discussions on three other sites in the south east.
Giggling Squid’s most recent opening, a 114-seater restaurant which launched in Marlow, Buckinghamshire in February, is already achieving sales of over £30,000 a week.
Giggling Squid also operates successful venues in Brighton, Hove, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, Henley-on-Thames, Reigate and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Healthy tapas menu
Co-owned with Andy’s wife Pranee Laurillard (the brand is derived from the nickname of one of their three children), Giggling Squid’s formula of serving “rustic” Thai cuisine, with the emphasis on sea- and street-food, is a winning one.
Meals are freshly prepared in the kitchen from scratch, and its healthy tapas menu, had proved universally popular, especially at lunchtime with office workers, “yummy mummies and “ladies who lunch.”
Since opening the first Giggling Squid in 2009, the pair deliberately set out to look and cook different – using drift wood and reclaimed timbers, to create a modern chic environment.
“It’s all down to the food,” says Pranee Laurillard commenting on what makes the restaurants a success, which came come against a back drop of one of the longest economic down turns in recent history.
The right staff
Employing the right staff is key. Pranee, a masters business graduate, who runs the operations side of the company now knows most of the UK’s Thai chefs. She has an extensive database of good staff – all eager to join the organisation.
Treating people well and paying them above the norm, is the solution to staff shortages which the industry has encountered since the introduction of new, stricter immigration controls.
“Thai managers are pretty thin on the ground – you can’t buy in our type of food from national suppliers and just have Polish chefs reheat it,” said Pranee.
Giggling Squid, 1 East Street, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HH
01403 257477