Din Tai Fung finally set to launch Centre Point restaurant
Eater London reports that the group, which currently has two sites in the capital is famed for its xiao long bao, has confirmed it will open the restaurant 'in the second half of 2022', having exchanged licenses on the huge 16,000 sq ft space previously occupied by British brasserie Vivi.
Din Tai Fung, which operates more than 170 locations in 13 countries around the world, first announced its intention to open a restaurant at Centre Point back in the summer of 2018, but that initial plan was eventually abandoned.
The group, whose UK rollout is part of a joint venture with the Singapore-based food and beverage company BreadTalk Group, launched its first UK restaurant in Covent Garden in late 2018, and eventually followed it with a second site within Oxford Street department store Selfridge's that opened earlier this year.
Din Tai Fung's roots date back to Taiwan 50 years ago.
Founded by Mr Bingyi Yang in 1958, the brand started off as a cooking oil retail business, before re-inventing itself in 1972 into a full-fledged restaurant.
The group's arrival at Centre Point will come hot on the heels of the launch ofArcade Food Hall, the JKS-backed reinvention of Arcade Food Theatre.
Vivi closed in August 2019 after just six months of trading, with its owners citing low footfall and ongoing construction around the development at the time as being behind the decision to close.