BEHIND THE BUSINESS | DIN TAI FUNG 🥟

At BGP we’re very proud to represent some of the most exciting names in retail and hospitality, helping them find the right locations for their next chapter and future growth.

One of our newer clients is Din Tai Fung – the globally renowned Taiwanese restaurant brand with a fast-growing presence in London. We are retained to help Din Tai Fung expand across the city and beyond, bringing them to some of London’s most sought after and visible locations.

WHO ARE DIN TAI FUNG?

Founded in Taiwan more than 60 years ago, Din Tai Fung is famous for its handmade Xiao Long Bao – a handcrafted 18-fold soup dumpling filled with juicy pork and wrapped in a delicate dough skin – a meticulous attention to detail and their memorable, open dining restaurant experience.
WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF DIN TAI FUNG?

Din Tai Fung was originally founded as a cooking oil retailer in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1958 as a husband and wife team.  When the introduction of tinned cooking oil changed the industry, they began selling Xiao Long Bao as another arm of the business. These developed a huge following; and the cooking oil side of the business was phased out entirely.

WHAT MAKES THE DINING EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?

The restaurant is known for its meticulous attention to detail – from ingredient selection to preparation and table service.

Din Tai Fung’s open kitchens make the preparation of Xiao Long Bao part of the dining experience, allowing customers to watch the precision and skill involved in their creation.

WHERE CAN I FIND DIN TAI FUNG?

Din Tai Fung opened its first UK restaurant in Covent Garden in 2018 and has since established a growing London presence.

Its four existing locations span some of the capital’s most prominent destinations:

Covent Garden – Henrietta Street, in the heart of London’s West End.

Selfridges – Fourth floor of the iconic Oxford Street department store.

Centre Point – St Giles Square, off Tottenham Court Road.

Canary Wharf – Crossrail Place

Excitingly – the next chapter is already underway, with a fifth London restaurant planned for King’s Cross.  1 Lewis Cubitt Walk will open in December 2026. The 160-cover restaurant will introduce a dedicated alfresco dining space, community dining room, dumpling masterclasses and an expanded bar experience.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EXPANSION?
With an established London footprint and a fifth restaurant on the way, Din Tai Fung continues to develop its presence in the capital.

Finding the right location is about more than securing a prominent address – we are looking for destinations that complement the brand, connect with its customers and provide the right setting for its unique dining experience.

Rupert Bentley Smith acted for Din Tai Fung to secure Kings Cross, and is leading Din Tai Fung’s expansion across London. To discuss ideas and opportunities, please get in touch.

This week Karve opened in Victoria – the third location for the premium pilates studio that offers its clients everything from classes and coffee to a strong community.

Karve are my client within the tenant rep team, and I acted to bring them to Victoria. Other recent wellness operators the BGP team have brought to destinations across London and the UK include award winning fitness studio Blok, contrast therapy specialist Arc, smoothie brand Elevate, all Barry’s Bootcamp sites in London and throughout the UK and the sought after Marchon gym that opened in Victoria last month. What does that tell us? Well, apart from the fact that BGP has some amazing clients…..! It shows that wellness is no longer an add on to placemaking schemes. In fact in many mixed use developments; wellness businesses are becoming the anchor.

When it comes to London leasing, BGP was ahead of the wellness trend. We advised on some of the first and most progressive wellness tenant mixes, including the first ‘skyscraper gym’ within a building, BXR at 22 Bishopsgate as well as the first wellness village in London, Eccleston Yards established over 5 years ago.

Wellness operators, from gyms and strength studios to smoothie bars and saunas, are now a key element when creating a place that people want to travel to. They bring footfall daily, and – unlike dining consistently throughout the day, evening and weekends, while increasing dwell time. They create a community. In BGP’s recent panel discussion “How Well is Retail”, featuring White Rabbit and contrast therapy operator Arc Community CEO Chris Miller, he explained that the idea of Arc was as much about creating a community as a wellness concept. After all, the statistics on the lack of alcoholic drinks in young people speak for themselves – the pub is no longer the default place to meet and socialise, particularly for Gen Z. Instead, wellness studios and cafes are leaping into the (alcohol free) mixer. Gym and fitness concepts have proved incredibly good at creating these incredibly engaged communities, both online and in person – they have Instagram friendly studios, strong ‘community’ messaging and meet ups and events that extend far beyond the actual gym class.

The opportunity this presents for landlords is clear. Selecting a strong wellness operator for a scheme will help build long term loyalty for a destination and strong local engagement; while bringing 24/7 footfall to neighbouring businesses at the same time. Wellness is no longer an afterthought for landlords – its part of a habitual human lifestyle change. It’s a day to day essential for customers that is changing the way we approach placemaking.

Things are changing at Brent Cross.

The UK’s first indoor shopping centre opened its doors to customers in 1976, with the ribbon cut by King Charles III himself. Anchored by John Lewis, Apple and Fenwick’s, the centre offers nearly 914,000 sq ft of retail and hospitality and is North London’s most visited retail destination.

Today, Brent Cross is in the process of an incredible transformation. A new leisure offering is being revealed; at the end of last year, Padel Club and Social Sports brought a much needed sport offering to Brent Cross with the launch of 10 new padel courts, and negotiations are currently underway with some of the UK’s most exciting F&B operators.

And what about retail? A shift in the centre’s leasing strategy to draw in more aspirational operators is evident through recent openings. The hoardings are up, announcing the imminent arrival of a luxurious new Polo Ralph Lauren. Premium childcare apparel store Newbie has opened on the ground floor, shoe brand Geox and cult wellness brand Neom have opened their doors; and Gen Z favourite jewellery and accessories brand Lovisa’s upsize to a larger store will open soon. The openings form part of a wider strategy for Brent Cross to bring in a more progressive fashion and beauty offer, creating broad appeal for a wide age group ranging from teens and Gen Z to older customers.

The enormous opportunity at Brent Cross is obvious. The wider area is one of the most affluent in the UK, with 29% falling within the top 3 highest spending ACORN categories The catchment is set to be boosted by the 73 hectare Brent Cross Town development – under construction opposite the centre – which will deliver exceptional transport links, 6,700 new homes, 3 million square feet of office space and 50 acres of parks and green space to Brent Cross’s doorstep. It is anticipated to draw a huge increase in families and young people; transforming the area’s footfall in the process.

With so much happening and momentum set to continue throughout 2025, the transformation of Brent Cross has only just begun.

Bruce Gillingham Pollard, alongside Cushman and Wakefield, are appointed by Hammerson to handle Retail and F&B leasing for Brent Cross.