Chelsea’s long-established ‘crab shack’ Big Easy (now with a site in Covent Garden too) has announced the launch of a third outpost in Canary Wharf, funded through Crowdcube. Opening in May at the brand new Crossrail Place in London’s financial heartland, the restaurant will be the chain’s new flagship.
On 1 May there will be a special Bank Holiday pre-opening party next to where the new site will be at park level in the new Norman Foster designed Cross Rail Place building. There will be food stalls serving some of Big Easy’s signature dishes and a bar serving whiskies, wines, craft beers and slushies; all to the soundtrack of live music, noon-late.
The frankly enormous 11,000 sq ft venue will occupy part of the top floor roof terrace of the new Norman Foster Cross Rail Terminal. There will be alfresco dining (as one might expect with a roof terrace that size), an oyster and raw bar, private dining rooms and a bar.
As is de rigueur there will be an open kitchen with a focus on charcoal and wood parrilla grilling and a pit room housing three enormous two tonne US-built smokers.
Let’s hope Big Easy can breathe new life into Canary Wharf’s dining scene, which rather plays second fiddle to the City. Although in an area overrun with faceless chains perhaps another restaurant group outpost won’t set the bankers’ world on fire?
Eschewing more traditional funding routes, Big Easy is aiming to raise £3 million via mini-bond on Crowdcube. This crowd-funding channel allows private investors to make an initial investment of £500 and upwards, and offers rewards to those who take a stake.
