Pelican brings Aussie food to Covent Garden

The Pelican Group has chosen the Australian slang for female as the name of its new themed restaurant, Sheila's, in London's Covent Garden.

The 130-seat Aussie restaurant, specialising in barbecued food and staffed partially with Australians, could be the first of a nationwide chain of Sheila's, according to chairman Roger Myers.

If the Covent Garden restaurant is doing well by Christmas then up to 10 more could be opened by the end of next year, he said.

The restaurants would be in high street locations and compete with the likes of TGI Friday's and Old Orleans, appealing to fun-seeking young adults, Mr Myers added.

Mr Myers said he would be looking for large sites, including pub conversions. He did not rule out the potential for franchising the chain in the future, although the first restaurants would be owned.

Sheila's has a large barelement, serving Australian beers at pub prices. Average spend per head for dinner is estimated at £12 and food includes ribs, steaks and chicken wings.

Food and drink is heavily themed as Australian. For example, one cocktail is called a Dingo's Breakfast, and sausages are called billabong bangers.

"It is a fun, broadly based, and hopefully popular concept," said Mr Myers.