Giggling Squid Announces Esher Opening - First Site Inside M25 For Thai Tapas Concept

The Giggling Squid family of Thai restaurants has acquired a third Surrey site - its first inside the M25. The fast growing group, which opened in Reigate in July 2013, plans to open in Guildford this summer and Esher in October.

The first of many Giggling Squid sites planned within the M25, the restaurant occupies a prime corner site in the town centre. Richard Negus of AG&G acted on the transaction. Following a £100,000 refit the 120 cover restaurant will create around 20 jobs.

Esher is at the centre of the Elmbridge Borough of Surrey, which, according to reports, pays more income tax than the whole of Scotland and the North of England combined. "Despite the wealthy customer base, we felt the area really lacked for good places to eat," said Pranee Laurillard who co owns the restaurant group with her husband Andrew, and added, "We lived a few miles down the road in Oxshott for a couple of years and usually ended up in Wimbledon when we wanted something decent."

Esher will be the group's 16th site when it opens. In addition to the four confirmed pipeline sites in Guildford, Billericay, Bury St Edmonds and Bath, there are also three further new units currently conveyancing.

Giggling Squid has also announced it is closing its Crawley site. Crawley became the home of the third Giggling Squid site when it opened in August 2010.

"Crawley was the only site we've had that never really got going and it has always been slightly marginal," said Andrew Laurillard. "It made more sense for us to focus on the 11 winners and the new sites in the pipeline than invest lots of time trying to keep it above water. "

Staff will be deployed elsewhere within the group.

Giggling Squid operates successful venues in Brighton, Hove, Tunbridge Wells, Stratford-upon-Avon, Henley-on-Thames, Reigate, Maidstone, Horsham, Sevenoaks, Salisbury and Bristol.

ENDS

Editors' Notes:

Giggling Squid, which opened its first restaurant in 2009 in Hove, has established a strong reputation for its authentic, rustic and fresh Thai cooking with the emphasis on coastal specialities. The food, described by The Times as "exciting", and Time Out as "simply divine", is prepared by master Thai chefs using fresh ingredients, sourced locally where available.

With no central kitchen, meals are freshly prepared from scratch in each kitchen by master Thai chefs. Its healthy tapas menu has proved universally popular, especially at lunchtime with office workers, "yummy mummies" and "ladies who lunch."

The lunch menu offers a choice of six Tapas-style 'tasting sets' that allow diners to sample several different dishes in a single sitting, costing between £8.00 and £10.50 with 16 individual dishes priced under £3.90. "Big" dishes with rice cost £6.50 to £7.95. "Combi" meals with starters are priced between £6.00 and £7.25.

The evening menu is more extensive with over 50 dishes available. The ever popular Thai Green Chicken Curry is £8.95.

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