The Consultant - Q1 2009 - (Page 35) europe Several others belong to overseas chains and are likewise unfamiliar to the average visitor. This might sound a risky differentiation strategy. There are no branches of any of the international quick service stalwarts like McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, or even Starbucks, all of which have traditionally been seen as anchors in mall food courts. In fact, there is no food court, as such. A central first floor area called The Balcony fills that role and, significantly, its 17 counter service units, all individually owned and operated, feature a remarkably eclectic mix of fast food menus. These include French, Lebanese, Korean, Japanese, Italian (specifically risotto) Indian, Mexican and Vietnamese as well as more British offerings in roast beef sandwiches, pies and salads. Nearby are a number of cafes and refreshment stops, again operated under distinctive but generally little-known brands. as a former operator, (notably at large retail foodservice operations such as the Selfridges department store chain), to assemble a shortlist of cuisine types likely to match the available spaces, then pencilled in a list of 2, 3 or 4 exponents of that cuisine – either in London or known from other countries – which she felt might work. “Then, basically, we approached them and pitched the idea to see if they would be comfortable with doing it,” she says. Tendering negotiations then ensued to finalize a tenant list. Westfield's in-house design team started working with each tenant's designers to develop the look of each operation. Guidelines were developed including the use only of architectural materials. Signage is mostly understated and all the counters are formed out of the same Corian-like material, LT Hi-Max, which can be moulded in two different directions enabling a variety of curving effects. It was also chosen with easy cleaning and repair in mind. Practical aspects of the individual customer experience were also analyzed. “While The Balcony is not an area where people are going to spend a lot of time, we still wanted a comfortable dining feel and plenty of alternative seating arrangements, rather than the usual food court approach of plastic tables and chairs bolted to the floor,” Belam observes. In a relatively untypical policy for a retail food court, all Balcony units serve their eat-in meals on china crockery and glassware with steel cutlery, all helping to emphasize the restaurant ethos. Since customers buy their food and drink from any counter they choose and sit wherever they want, it was necessary for Westfield to create centralized logistical back-up, including all table clearing to bussing stations and thence trolley movement to a large wash-up system in a back-ofhouse area adjacent to the Balcony. Belam selected the core crockery range – main course plates, side plate, pasta bowl, dessert bowl, cups and INTERNATIONAL Searcy’s 1847 Champagne Bar, a second unit of a concept originally created for St. Pancras International Rail Station, is a stylish 34-seater at Westfield. It offers five specially selected champagnes plus a light, chef-inspired menu, and is in an island position near a section filled with designer label stores. MARKET Upscale décor and tableware The layout and décor of The Balcony also has very little in common with the usual fast food clusters seen at mall food courts. Upscale features devised by the London-based Softroom architectural practice include edge-illuminated etched glass paneling, while seating for 1000 people is interspersed with discreetly signed island counters rather than clustered inside runs of brightly-branded facades. Nearly all the foodservice units feature open preparation and presentation, as well as some cooking, to maximize buzz and energy. “Our research indicated the need to raise the bar in terms of service and variety – not just high street brands, but names and concepts which were new to the UK,” comments Rachel Belam, food leasing executive at Westfield London. Layout and adjacencies between retail zones and foodservice also received a lot of scrutiny. “Westfield's worldwide philosophy is that food is now such an integral part of the mall customer's experience that you don't just put it up in the heavens or down in the basement,” she comments. Changes in the scale and aspirational nature of the London restaurant market in the past decade have added a further layer of expectations. Hence the distinct zoning of foodservice activities. Belam describes The Balcony as a "cafe court", a concept which fi rst surfaced at Westfield's ground-breaking Bondi Junction Centre in Australia. Belam sees it as a reworking of an Asian street market with lots of different counters selling freshly-made food and given an upscale context. “We recognized that if we worked with different restaurateurs, as opposed to traditional fast food brands, we could create a shared dining experience where we took the best elements of a restaurant concept and delivered it in a style similar to a food court,” she points out. After the architectural aspects of the Balcony space had been worked out, the process of in-filling concepts began. Belam applied her experience First Quarter 2009 35 PERSPECTIVES
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