Buttercream Dreams and Moj Y Moj, Meze Lounge coming soon, and closure of Montien and Mirch Masala
Openings
There are three new food places since our last blog post! Vegan cafe Buttercream Dreams is based on the ground floor of Project B at 3–7 Middle Street, and serves cakes and drinks as well as daily-changing savoury options such as Hungarian stew, pizza, and sausage roll with home-made beans.
Moj Y Moj at 63–65 High Street serves halal burgers and paratha rolls including vegetarian options. Somewhat less excitingly, a branch of Chicken Cottage has opened at 65 Church Street.
Other interesting new openings include Incensed (UK) Ltd at 19a St George’s Walk, selling candles, incense, crystals, and books; and a haberdashery and knitting shop called B Fashions at 11 Whitgift Centre.
The Whitgift Centre has also had several other new openings recently: a couple of homewares shops called Stacks (Units 8–9) and Inside Out (Units 98–99), two clothes shops called Krisp (Units 117–118) and The Market Boutique (Unit 66), and a vape shop called Evapo (Unit 158).
Finally, a beauty salon called Beautylicious has opened at 9 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road; an anonymous shop selling mobile phones, watches, and bags has opened at 168 North End; another mobile phone shop called Mobiles & Bitz has opened at 5 Crown Hill; and a minicab firm called Courier Cars has opened a branch at 22 South End, expanding from their original location near Norbury Station.
Closures
Balancing out the abovementioned food-related openings, Montien Thai Restaurant at 1078–1079 Whitgift Centre, Mirch Masala at 40–42 South End, and Bloomers Bakery at 20e Selsdon Road have all closed.
Amidst much sadness (see many articles in the local press for details), Tiger Tiger at 16 High Street has closed.
Avers at 32 North End has also closed, though is likely less missed, given that it only opened last autumn; and Arthur Hayes Optometrists has closed its branch at 1070 Whitgift Centre (its East Grinstead practice remains open).
Coming soon
A Mediterranean bar and restaurant called The Meze Lounge is due to open at 65 South End within the next 2–3 weeks. This is under the same management as Playground next door.
The long-vacant premises at 75–77 High Street have been granted planning permission for use as a “tech hub” including office space and a cafe, possibly to be called The Click.
43 St George’s Walk is under refurbishment to open as a business called Luso. We don’t yet know what sort of thing this will be. Next door, 45 St George’s Walk appears to be in the process of reopening as a wedding dress shop.
Other news
A beauty salon called Lava opened last month at 74 London Road, replacing Finjan coffee shop and cafe. However, it seems to have closed again — whether this is permanent or temporary, we’re not sure. Similarly, a clothes shop called Kranti opened in Unit 93, Whitgift Centre, but has now closed again; the unit is vacant and stripped out.
After a brief period hosting a mock auction, Portre at 30 North End is once more trading as a clothes shop.
Home Living, previously at 34–36 North End, is now at 94–95 Whitgift Centre.
Several places have rebranded and/or relaunched. The most prominent of these is probably Reflex at 18 High Street, which has relaunched under the name of Luna. In addition, GNC at 1034 Whitgift Centre is now called MET-Rx, the Morrisons M Local branch at 6a Lansdowne Road is now known as My Local, and Shoppers Amusements at 71 North End has changed its name to Admiral.