66 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
BAR
Inception Group Set For Greatest Expansion To
Date With Three New Bars For Mr Fogg’s Collection
Bar
2018 will see conceptual hospitality group,
Inception Group embark on their greatest
expansion to date, doubling the size of their
Around The World in 80 Days inspired, Mr
Fogg’s Collection by opening three more bars.
Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals will open in
Fitzrovia this June, followed by Mrs Fogg’s,
inspired by Aouda, the intrepid explorer,
Phileas Fogg’s wife, in Jules Verne’s classic
adventure novel. Opening in Broadgate Circle
in September, Mrs Fogg’s will be their first
foray into the City. The last in the trio of new
openings will see the unveiling this October
of Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration situated
just off the Strand, and the intention is that
there will be further new Mr Fogg’s to follow
in 2019.
Inception Group was founded in 2009 by
Charlie Gilkes & Duncan Stirling when they
were just 24 and 27. The group operates ten
of London’s most conceptual and popular
venues, offering inventive food and drink
served in eclectic settings. The business has
won several awards as well as industry-wide
recognition, including being named in the
Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 and
winning London Lifestyle Awards several
years in a row. Bucking the current market
trend which has seen a high number of
notable bars and restaurants close already
in the first quarter of this year, in 2017 every
individual business within the group had their
best year yet.
Their first project was cult speakeasy bar
Barts in 2009 swiftly followed by 80s themed
nightclub, Maggie’s in 2010. Since then
they have launched the legendary Bunga
Bunga, serving up tongue-in-cheek Italian
entertainment, food and cocktails at two sites,
one in Covent Garden and one in Battersea.
They launched Mr Fogg’s Residence in 2013,
a bar inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the
World in 80 Days swiftly followed by sister
projects, Mr Fogg’s Tavern and Gin Parlour,
and well loved Soho watering hole, Cahoots,
set in a 1940s underground station. They
also own the Squirrel healthy eating brand,
which currently trades from a site in South
Kensington.
Restaurant Property, the leading specialist
in the property market for the hospitality
industry, secured the Fitzrovia site on
Newman Street for Mr Fogg’s House of
Botanicals. Senior Surveyor for Restaurant
Property, Guy Marks, said: “I am a big fan
of Inception Group’s quirky, original bars,
restaurants and clubs and I realised straight away
that the the former Dickie Fitz site would be a
perfect fit for the group. It was off-market when
we approached Charlie and Duncan with the
details and I am delighted that we have been able
to help them acquire the site.”
Mrs Fogg’s will be situated in Broadgate,
the largest pedestrianised neighbourhood
in Central London. The campus is a diverse
community connecting innovation and finance,
and a public arena for new food, retail and
culture. Joint owners British Land and GIC are
investing £1.5 billion in Broadgate’s evolution
into a world class, mixed-use destination for
London. Their masterplan for Broadgate will
deliver 4.9 million sq ft of new and redefined
workplaces, retail and restaurants, bringing
people together to work, shop, drink and dine.
Claire Barber, Head of Central London Retail
and Meadowhall, British Land, said: “Mrs
WEBSITE: www.inception-group.com
Fogg’s will be yet another great addition to an
already fantastic choice of bars and restaurants
at Broadgate. The team at Inception Group has
an excellent reputation for creating unique, fun
places for people to eat and drink. Their decision
to open at Broadgate shows how successfully the
neighbourhood is establishing a reputation as a
public arena for new food, retail and culture.”
OakNorth - the bank for entrepreneurs, by
entrepreneurs - has provided Inception Group
with growth capital to initially fund the rollout
of the three new sites across London this
year. Deepesh Thakrar, Senior Debt Finance
Director at OakNorth, said: “The London
bar and restaurant scene is one of the most
competitive in the world – there are numerous
chains and while these can work very well, a lot of
people prefer sites that feel more like hidden gems
or speakeasies. Charlie and Duncan’s approach
- developing venues that have a unique look and
feel, as well as individual concepts - has proven to
be extremely successful and we look forward to
working with them in the future.”
Charlie and Duncan are regularly included
in such lists as GQ’s 100 Most Connected
People and The Evening Standard’s 1000
Most Influential People, and their venues are
consistently shortlisted in awards such as; the
GQ Food & Drink Awards, The Food & Travel
Awards, The Class Bar Awards and many
more.
Charlie Gilkes says of this year’s planned
expansion:
“ We are delighted about this year’s biggest
expansion in the history of Inception Group and
the Mr Fogg’s Collection. We look forward to
bringing London the next thrilling chapter in our
Around The World in 80 Days journey.”