Itsu and Heavenly Desserts

Itsu will open a 2,640 sq ft store offering fast and delicious Asian-inspired food, including sushi, salads and soups, further diversifying IQL’s increasingly varied food and beverage offering. The latest restaurant is set to open at the start of 2020, and will add to their portfolio of over 70 stores across the UK. 

Heavenly Desserts are dedicated to crafting high-quality, eye-catching desserts, and following years of success at their cafés across England and Wales, have chosen IQL for their first eatery in London as they expand to the south. The unit chosen by Heavenly Desserts will offer guests an elegant and stylish dining experience. It is close to 1,500 sq ft and will have space for 70 covers, including outside patio seating.

These latest signings follow the openings of two additional independent food and drink operators in IQL: Signorelli, a family-run East London bakery; and Figo, a new venture from the team behind Bella Vita in Hackney’s Broadway Market. They join Tonkotsu who have been trading since summer 2018.

Yousif Aslam, Managing Director of Heavenly Desserts, said: “Lendlease and LCR’s vibrant and inclusive IQL development is one of London’s most exciting projects, and fits the criteria perfectly for our first foray into the capital. Starting as a Midlands-based operator, we expanded to the North of England and we are very keen for our luxurious dining experience to be part of this new focal point for the rapidly growing East London scene. Our delectable sweet treats are designed to be enjoyed with all the human senses; they will offer visitors to IQL a memorable experience.”

Guy Thomas, Head of Retail at Lendlease, commented: “We are committed to bringing a balance of local, London based and national brands to East London’s new dining, leisure, and social hub. Announcing Heavenly Desserts’ first café in London, as well as international Asian food brand itsu, alongside our more localised offer is great news for IQL. We want to provide a rich variety of food and beverage offerings for people from day to night, whether they live or work locally or are visiting this part of London for the first time.”

Adrian Lee, Development Director at LCR, said: “Welcoming Heavenly Desserts’ first venture in London, and securing itsu’s latest restaurant is another boost to IQL, bringing a unique dining experience to the heart of a thriving new neighbourhood. It’s the perfect addition to a growing food and drink offer which will be as diverse as the vibrant, urban and fast-growing community of east London.”
Nash Bond and CF Commercial represented IQL. CDG Leisure acted on behalf of Heavenly Desserts.

ENDS

For press enquiries please contact:
Amanda McNally – amandamcnally@averpr.com / 07495 461 573
Daniel Bleach – danielbleach@averpr.com / 07495 461 545
Elizabeth Ellis – elizabethellis@averpr.com / 07951 814 183

For further information on Lendlease, please contact Harriet Sutton: harriet.sutton@lendlease.com / 07841 476 673
 
About International Quarter London

• International Quarter London is a £2.4 billion joint venture development between Lendlease and LCR. Located at the heart of Europe’s largest urban regeneration in Stratford, the project will deliver four million sq. ft. of Grade ‘A’ office space, new homes and community facilities within a 22 acre (c.9 hectare) site.

• With the vision to create London’s new home for progressive businesses, International Quarter London benefits from an abundance of green space and fresh air, access to some of the world’s most forward-thinking cultural institutions, unrivalled transport connectivity and a workplace design that has employee wellbeing at its heart.

• Progress is well underway onsite with the first two residential towers now complete and more than one million sq. ft. of office space already pre-let. Investments from DWS (formerly Deutsche Bank Asset Management) and Legal & General totalled more than £615m of forward sales for the first two commercial buildings, one of which TfL took handover of in September 2017, and the other the Financial Conduct Authority took handover of in March 2018.

• A third building, accommodating more than 7,000 employees is also underway on the south site, with space there pre-let to Cancer Research UK and British Council. This was also forward sold to DWS for c.£240m in June 2018.



About Lendlease

• Lendlease is a leading international property and infrastructure group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas. 
• Our vision is to create the best places; places that inspire and enrich the lives of people around the world.
• Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has approximately 13,100 employees internationally.
• Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Development, Construction and Investments. The combination of these three segments provides us with a sustainable competitive advantage and allows us to provide innovative integrated solutions for our customers.
• Lendlease is behind some of London’s largest and most exciting mixed-use regeneration projects such as Elephant Park and International Quarter London. In early 2018, it was appointed by Google as lead construction partner on its landmark new headquarters’ in King’s Cross and is the preferred contractor for Birmingham’s Perry Barr development, due for completion in 2020.
• Lendlease is also responsible for the development of Euston Over Station Development, working closely with HS2, the Department for Transport and the London Borough of Camden; Network Rail and other stakeholders to optimise the outcomes for London and the UK.
• In June 2018, Lendlease announced plans for the acquisition with Starwood Capital, subject to pre-completion conditions, of The Silvertown Partnership which holds development rights in a major urban renewal project in London’s East End.
• Lendlease was recognised as the UK’s Most Sustainable Residential Developer by the NextGeneration Sustainability Benchmark for setting new standards of sustainability and customer engagement for two consecutive years in 2018, 2017 and 2016, scoring more than double the industry average.
• In April 2019, Lendlease won the highest accolade at Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Awards. It was awarded the most points at April’s ceremony for excellence in promoting good mental health in the workplace.

About LCR

• A skilled commercial developer and the UK Government’s placemaking expert, LCR has a 20-year track record of creating exciting new destinations for people to live, work and experience. It leads on the regeneration of complex sites, working with public and private sector partners to deliver homes and jobs and create value from transport-linked land and property assets.  
• LCR was responsible for the delivery of the High Speed 1 railway comprising St. Pancras International, Stratford International and Ebbsfleet. It also led the complex land assembly and master-planning to unlock the £3bn mixed-use redevelopment of Kings Cross – one of London’s most successful regeneration stories
• Today, LCR is progressing a number of major development projects, including: The regeneration of the 24-acre Mayfield site in Manchester, with U&I, Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester and the 1,000,000 sq ft commercial redevelopment of the Axis site in Birmingham.
• In London, LCR is delivering the £2.4bn International Quarter London scheme in Stratford, in a joint venture with Lendlease, and is developing Waterloo.London – a new 135,000 sq ft retail and leisure destination at the former Eurostar terminal.
• Nationally, LCR is working with local authorities to bring forward development around stations across the country.    
• LCR is wholly-owned by the Department for Transport.