Boki
An all-day coffee shop has opened in Seven Dials, London, blending a quality coffee industry experience with excellence in food and drink and a passion for design. Boki officially launched in July delivering a creative menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All carefully sourced products showcase the finest flavours and quality suppliers that have inspired owners Boris Becker and Kim Mahony Hargreaves (Boki) for their first solo launch venue to provide their distinctive stamp on quality, creativity and innovation. Having already been shortlisted for a Restaurant and Design Award for its 2015 pop up project with boutique hotel Urban Villa, Boki Seven Dials provides a relaxed setting day to night from the intimate table settings to the welcoming light and airy communal bar.
Speaking to Premier Hospitality shortly after the official opening, Kim Mahony Hargreaves outlined the inspiration behind Boki:
“Both Boris and I have a real love and passion for quality food and drink. We’ve been friends for over 10 years and have previously worked together in the film industry but a few years ago decided we wanted to put our effort and energy into hospitality.
“Two years ago we did a pop-up in a hotel called Urban Villa in West London. They’re a boutique hotel brand and it was their first project. We did a coffee shop and bar concept which went really well and was actually shortlisted for a Restaurant and Bar Design Award.
“When the pop-up came to an end we decided to look for our own space and the award nomination helped us garner some interest and investment. We set our sights on central London and managed to find this fantastic location right in the heart of seven dials.
“We wanted to create somewhere that is a comfortable, relaxing and stylish venue that serves high quality ingredients, great food and great coffee all-day. We were inspired by the café culture on the continent in countries like France, Spain, Greece and Germany where cafés and coffee shops stay open all-day into the evening. This concept is something that is starting to gain ground in London but it’s still lacking that transition into the evening.”
Key influences throughout the menus range from Boris’ international background in Asia, to Kim’s love of great produce from his upbringing in Herefordshire. Featuring preferred supplier Allpress coffee – a favourite of the barista owners – along with natural teas, a selection of freshly made juices and smoothies will be made on-site during the day to accompany the delicious baked goods and pastries available. In the evenings, exciting internationally-inspired small plates have been expertly paired with a carefully created menu of cocktails, craft beer, wine and aperitifs.
Ideally placed in the heart of one London’s rapidly growing areas, Boki is to be a thriving hub of activity from early in to morning till late at night. Kim added:
“It was very important to get the location right. This was one of the main lessons we took from the pop-up which was a beautiful space in a nice area but we were off the beaten track. To be in an area that had both high footfall but was also somewhere we liked was high on the priority list. What we’re aiming to achieve is to become a community hub for the area.
“To be in this area is a dream come true and is something we aspired to when we first started this venture. We’re looking forward to establishing our brand here and hopefully expanding into new sites in the near future.”
For more information please visit bokisevendials.com.
CBP Independent Catering Design Services Limited
CBP Independent Catering Design Services Limited is a design consultancy specialising in commercial kitchen design, from hotels, cafes and restaurants to schools, colleges and more. The consultancy has been in operation since 2014; however, founder Charles Parker has more than 37 years’ design experience within the kitchen fit-out industry.
Since its inception, Charles has been involved with various high-end projects, both here and abroad, including design consultancies for Eton College, The Virgin Galactic Space Port and Nido Student Accommodation. Charles has also worked on a kitchen Scheme for Skibo Castle. This project won an award for Kitchen of the Year in 2016 in its category.
Most recently, CBP were involved with Boki Seven Dials. Working on this project, CBP prepared the designs for the ground floor service kitchen, the basement preparation kitchen and storage areas and the coffee bar.
Charles Parker, said:
“I enjoy working with clients like Boki Seven Dials, as they have a personal stake in the project and this is reflected in the design concept.”
Charles added:
“At CBP we pride ourselves in our attention to detail.”
