Ford looks for site for Japanese launch

Ex-Harvey Nichols food and retail director Dominic Ford is launching his first independent restaurant concept since leaving the upmarket department store earlier this

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	Ford: new restaurant concept

year. Ford and partner David Miney, also a former Harvey Nichols employee while head chef of the Oxo Tower Restaurant, plan to open Yakitori-Ya, a new mid-market to budget Japanese restaurant, next year. The restaurant will serve traditional yakitori - meat and vegetables dipped in BBQ sauce and grilled over charcoal, along with beer and sake. Average spend is expected to be about £12-£15 for lunch and £15-£20 for dinner. No site has yet been secured, but the partnership is looking for an 80 cover, 2,000-3,000sq ft basement in the Soho area. Capital expenditure on the new project is expected to be about £800,000. Ford said the restaurant would initially target a Japanese customer base and would potentially look to expand the concept over time. *Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 21 October 2004*