Key facts
- Richard Caring is in advanced negotiations to purchase 1 Lombard Street, a prominent London restaurant.
- The potential acquisition signifies Caring's re-entry into the restaurant sector after selling his previous group for £1.4 billion.
- The sale of 1 Lombard Street, owned by Soren Jessen for nearly three decades, is nearing completion.
- 1 Lombard Street, situated in a former banking hall, has been credited with enhancing the City of London's dining scene since its 1998 opening.
Richard Caring is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire the iconic London restaurant 1 Lombard Street. This potential deal marks Caring's return to the restaurant business following the £1.4 billion sale of his previous restaurant empire, which included establishments like The Ivy Collection, Sexy Fish, and Scott's.
The sale of the Lombard Street restaurant, housed in a former banking hall, is understood to be in the final stages of negotiation. The transaction could be finalized as early as next week, bringing an end to nearly 30 years of ownership by Soren Jessen, a former banker.
Caring, who made his fortune in fast fashion, entered the restaurant industry in 2005, transforming celebrity hotspots into a successful global group. 1 Lombard Street, which opened in 1998, is credited with elevating the culinary reputation of the City of London, encouraging evening dining and weekend patronage.
Jessen previously told City AM that the restaurant had to be brave to establish itself in an area where people typically left immediately after work. The sale coincides with significant changes at another City establishment, Coq d'Argent, which is set to relocate.