The Regent’s Park Road restaurant will open its doors early next month, with a mission to recruit, train and employ people with experience of homelessness.
The site previously operated as Home Kitchen Diner, the social-impact fine dining restaurant that chef Adam Simmonds helped launch in 2024 and which closed last year.
Seating 50 covers, 130 Primrose will be open seven days a week from 9am, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a relaxed, brasserie-style setting.
Its launch will mark the first time the high-profile chef has been associated with a restaurant since the closure of her debut London restaurant Mere in 2024, after a seven-year run.
Its à la carte menu will draw on Mediterranean influences and will later incorporate nods to Monica’s native Samoa.
At lunchtime, sandwiches and salads will be available, while evenings will feature an additional charcuterie and cheese offering.
A speakeasy-style cocktail bar is set to open on the lower ground floor later in May.
The restaurant takes its name from the Latin phrase prima rosa, a symbol of spring and new beginnings, reflecting its aim to foster renewal, confidence and lasting opportunity.
The restaurant will offer employees paid work, accredited training and clear progression within hospitality under the guidance of Galetti and head chef Eric Zhang, who will lead the kitchen day to day.
130 Primrose, which recently gained charity status, builds on the organisation’s first venture, Home Kitchen Diner, where Simmonds held the previous executive chef position.
During its tenure, it employed 16 individuals affected by homelessness, including prison leavers, refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine, and those in addiction recovery.
Five members of the original cohort progressed into permanent roles in hospitality. The new opening aims to build on this impact.
Candidates for 130 Primrose are being recruited through referrals from partner charities including The Big Issue, Crisis, Beam, Soup Kitchen London and Only A Pavement Away.
Each employee is offered a six-month contract as part of the front-of-house or kitchen team at 130 Primrose, which includes the opportunity to complete qualifications such as Food Hygiene and Allergen Awareness certifications.
Upon completing their time at the restaurant, each employee is supported in progressing to further opportunities within the hospitality industry.
Longer term, the charity plans to expand its model to cities across the UK, with the ambition of becoming a recognised pipeline of skilled, diverse talent for the hospitality industry, while helping to reshape perceptions of homelessness.
“I’ve seen first-hand how, with the right support, people can rediscover hope, dignity and purpose through opportunities like this,” says Galetti, who joins a board of six trustees at the charity.
“That’s why I didn’t hesitate when I was asked to help shape the culinary future of this incredible project. My first task is to create an exciting new menu that attracts customers to support our mission - celebrating the best British seasonal ingredients with a little twist of fun.”
Michael Brown, a charity trustee and part of the founding team, added: “Too often, people facing homelessness are excluded from work and written off by society - seen only for their circumstances, not their potential.” “At the same time, the hospitality industry, among many other challenges, faces a shortage of committed, qualified staff.”
“We’ve started to close both gaps, to prove that talent can flourish anywhere and change perceptions. But we must do more. We must build on what we’ve learned and scale up to provide more opportunities for more people who need them. These are people with an extraordinary life experience doing extraordinary things with the right support, Employment brings dignity, belonging, and a future.”