The Crown Estate brings Princes Street to full occupancy with four new hospitality brands

The Crown Estate has brought Princes Street to full occupancy following four deals totalling more than 6,500 sq ft. The new arrivals strengthen the street’s growing food and drink offer, complementing the world-class retail and hospitality in the Regent Street area.

Social media sensation SpudBros Express launched its 2,190 sq. ft flagship venue at 4 Princes Street earlier this year. The British brand, which has 6 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, specialises in freshly prepared jacket potatoes with a range of signature toppings. The opening forms part of the brand’s wider expansion and brings its popular food-to-go concept to the Regent Street neighbourhood.

Kazu are opening over 1,500 sq ft at 6 Princes Street before Christmas, bringing its high-quality, affordable Japanese cuisine to the area. The restaurant, which already operates a site in Fitzrovia, combines Japanese tradition with a modern approach, serving everything from sushi and sashimi to contemporary small plates, with a focus on fresh ingredients and carefully balanced flavours. Its Princes Street location will offer relaxed, casual dining, catering to lunchtime and evening customers alike.

Meanwhile, London-born matcha and yuzu specialist SMATCHA is set to open its first standalone flagship at 3 Princes Street later this month. The new 1,073 sq ft unit will mark the brand's third London location, following successful openings at Westfield London and Brent Cross. Specialising in premium ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from Kyoto, SMATCHA brings together traditional Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary flavours, offering an innovative range of matcha drinks and yuzu drinks alongside its signature superfood-infused creations. The new flagship will feature a Japanese-inspired interior and a traditional Japanese stone mill, bringing the art of freshly milled matcha to the heart of the West End.

These new outlets will join New York style bagel house and speakeasy bar No.1 Princes Street, which opened its 1,780 sq ft venue earlier this month. On the ground floor, the restaurant specialises in freshly baked, naturally fermented bagels with classic deli-style fillings. In the evenings, a hidden speakeasy bar can be found in the basement, offering cocktails and late-night entertainment.

The four brands bring the total number of food and drink operators on Princes Street to 6, joining an established mix that includes Tendril, the plant-first restaurant specialising in vegan dishes on the street for the last five years, and long-standing family-run Italian restaurant Bar Remo.

The growing food and drink offer on Princes Street complements the wider mix of retail, dining and leisure across The Crown Estate's Regent Street portfolio. It follows the recent announcement that Time Out Market will open its first UK location at nearby 10 Piccadilly, adding another major food and cultural destination to the West End.

Sophie Moorcroft, Leasing Manager, Hospitality & Culture at The Crown Estate, said: “Reaching full occupancy at Princes Street reflects the strength of demand from hospitality brands looking to be part of the Regent Street neighbourhood, as well as the growing importance of food and drink to the overall West End experience.

“Our focus is on the long-term prosperity of the area and by creating the right mix of uses and experiences in and around Regent Street, we are giving people more reasons to visit and spend time here. Princes Street is an important part of that, adding a distinctive dining offer alongside the world-class retail on Regent Street and contributing to a vibrant destination throughout the day and into the evening.”

Jacob & Harley Nelson, SpudBros Express: “We’re incredibly proud to have brought SpudBros to the heart of London’s West End. Opening our flagship on Princes Street was a huge milestone for us, and it’s been amazing to see the response from Londoners and visitors from around the world. What started as a simple love for jacket potatoes has grown into something we could never have imagined, and to now have a home just moments from Regent Street is pretty surreal!

“Princes Street is fast becoming a brilliant destination for food and drink, and we’re excited to be part of its next chapter alongside so many fantastic independent brands. We’re grateful to The Crown Estate for supporting our vision and can’t wait to welcome even more people through our doors.”

Daisy Spencer at SMATCHA, said: "Opening our first standalone flagship on Princes Street is an exciting milestone for SMATCHA. Our ambition has always been to bring exceptional Japanese matcha to a wider audience through a fresh, contemporary experience. The Regent Street neighbourhood is an incredible location for our next chapter, and we are delighted to be joining such a vibrant and growing collection of hospitality brands. We look forward to becoming part of the local community and contributing to the area's evolving food and drink scene."

Riley Weichel, Sales & Marketing Manager at No.1 Princes Street, said: “We’re so excited to have opened our doors on Princes Street and to be part of such a vibrant and evolving part of the West End. The response since opening has been amazing, and it’s been brilliant to see so many people coming in to experience what we’re all about. With such an exciting mix of food, drink and retail continuing to grow in the area, we’re proud to be part of a destination that’s giving people even more reasons to visit, whether they’re stopping by for a bagel and coffee during the day or joining us for cocktails in the evening.”