Vinopolis says poor visitor turnout has not hit restaurants
Vinopolis, the wine centre on London's Bankside, says its restaurants have been successful despite disappointing visitor numbers at the project in its first year.
The centre had attracted about 330,000 visitors by the end of July, its first year of operation, considerably fewer than its projected 460,000. It recently replaced almost its entire board in an effort to save money.
The complex was designed as a centre for both professional and amateur wine enthusiasts. Tasting halls, wine vaults and a multimedia tour of the wine world were to have been joined by three eating areas: Cantina Vinopolis, a combined refectory and brasserie; Root & Branch, a wine bar; and Vinum, a 70-seat fine-dining restaurant.
Cantina has dropped its refectory element and is now solely a brasserie with seating for 150, while Root & Branch has been renamed Wine Wharf and sells light meals, such as tapas. Vinum, which was to have opened earlier this year in a building near the 2.3-acre Vinopolis site, has not opened, and insiders say it is unlikely to go ahead.
The restaurants are a joint venture, with 60% owned by restaurateurs Claudio Pulze and Trevor Gulliver, and 40% owned by the founders of Vinopolis.
Simon Wood is to step down as chief executive of Vinopolis, which means he will also be replaced as a director of the two restaurants. John Lowther moves from operations director of Vinopolis to become managing director.
Lowther said: "I won't deny that we've been disappointed with the figures for Vinopolis, but I should stress that it's designed not as a visitor attraction but as a leisure facility.
"The restaurants have been wildly successful - they've performed much better than our original projections. Vinopolis has been very successful as an events and banqueting centre, and we're so pleased with the quality of the food in our restaurants that we may get them to take over some of our contract catering."
Pulze said Cantina was doing an average of 270-280 covers a day, and added that he was "pleased" with the figures. He hoped the restructuring of Vinopolis would not lead to any changes in the restaurants.
While Vinopolis may not have attracted as many visitors as expected, it is increasingly widely used by the wine industry for tastings and events.
Wine writer and Master of Wine John Downes said Vinopolis was an excellent venue for corporate entertaining, but hopes of attracting a wider clientele might have been overoptimistic.
"In the wine trade we assume everyone is keen on wine, but the truth is that wine can be very boring to the man on the street," he said.
"People like to drink wine, but that doesn't necessarily mean they want to learn about it."
by Linley Boniface
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 7-13 September 2000
Related Web site
