Giggling Squid, the fast growing restaurant chain which introduced the ‘Thai Tapas’ concept to Britain, currently operates nine successful venues in Brighton, Hove, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, Henley-on-Thames, Reigate, Stratford-upon-Avon, Marlow and Horsham. Its most recent opening, Horsham, has weekly sales averaging between £25,000 and £30,000.
Its latest opening is due in Sevenoaks in early August, and will be followed by Maidstone. The company is also set to exchange contracts on three further properties in the next few weeks. It is in advanced negotiations on several additional sites across southern England and expects to open at least 8 more sites in the coming 12 months.
H&C News understands that Giggling Squid’s successes to date – and rapid expansion – is attracting investor attention: we wait to see if a stake will be acquired to help finance continuing expansion.
Sevenoaks opening
The opening in Sevenoaks, Kent on 5th August will create 20 new jobs. The new 100-seater, split-level restaurant, which Giggling Squid has refurbished at a cost of £250,000, is located in a former church on Dorset Street, on the site formerly occupied by Strada restaurant.
In the past few weeks, builders refurbishing the restaurant have been constantly bemused by a regular stream of passers-by wandering in to a scene of devastation and organised chaos to ask, “Are you open yet?”
“Our Tunbridge Wells branch has many regulars who travel down from Sevenoaks and they’ve been pleading with us to open in the town for some time,” said Giggling Squid MD Andrew Laurillard.
About Giggling Squid
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. Fans compliment the restaurants for having the “feel” of a one-off independent, rather than a mass “produced” corporate chain.
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.
The lunch menu offers a choice of six Tapas-style ‘tasting sets’ that allow diners to sample several of different dishes in at a single sitting, costing between £8.00 and £10.50 with 16 individual dishes priced under £4.00. “Big” dishes with rice cost £6.50 to £7.95. “Combi” meals with starters are priced between £6.00 and £7.25.
The evening menu is more extensive with over 50 dishes available. The ever popular Thai Green Chicken Curry is £8.95.
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. The company says it is able to recruit high calibre staff because it treats people well and pays them above the industry norm.
“We offer a professional management structure, invest heavily in training and can offer a real prospect of rapid career development as the group expands,” said Pranee.
Pictured top: Giggling Squid, Stratford upon Avon
Giggling Squid, 3c Dorset Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1LL
01732 465898
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