Giggling Squid, the popular and innovative family of Thai restaurants, is pleased to announce it will be 40% larger coming out of 2018 that going into it. A further 8 sites will take the group to 30 by the end of the year.
Following the recent launch of Bath, the group’s 23rd site, in the new development of Saw Close, Giggling Squid is set to open a 200 cover, former Mulberry spa, site in Beaconsfield early April. Early summer will see Cheltenham, the 110 inside capacity and 50 outdoor site, opening in the upmarket Montpellier dining district.
Further confirmed sites in the immediate pipeline are Chichester – 5500 sq. ft site in Eastgate Square, Harpenden – 3500 sq.ft site on Amenbury Lane, Bishop’s Stortford – 3700 sq.ft site on North Street and Windsor – 3000 sq. ft site on Thames Street, which was delayed when a hidden full-height cellar was discovered (the clock is ticking to get it open in time for the Royal Wedding!)
Andy Laurillard comments ‘All our restaurants are ahead of last year apart from one, which is an amazing result. Recent openings have been particularly successful, proving that demand for our offer is stronger than ever. We look forward to bringing our fresh take on Thai food to more people as we spread our tentacles at an accelerating rate.’
Not content with simply growing the brand, co-owners Pranee and Andy Laurillard introduced a series of brand strengthening evolutionary changes towards the end of last year.
Recent openings in Wimbledon and Bath are good examples of a design refresh showcasing a natural progression for the group. Pranee, who is also Giggling Squid’s resident interior designer, makes bolds statements throughout with various floral wallpapers combined with intricate stencil work and hand-crafted artwork to add texture and colours to the walls. Bath makes the biggest statement to date with two large Thai-style aviaries taking centre stage offering guests a semi-private, quirky dining experience. With bigger sites, informal versatile zones have been introduced with Bath and upcoming Beaconsfield hosting separate bar lounges with a ‘bar bites’ menu – a first for Giggling Squid.
Pranee Laurillard comments: ‘We went into Bath wanting to experiment and push some boundaries. The huge building lent itself to being bold with the interiors and the response from the locals has been extremely exciting with guests already pre-booking the aviaries (or as locals are calling them, the “bird cages!”) It’s one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces we’ve seen. You need to check it out!’
Owned by Thai-born Pranee Laurillard and her husband Andrew, Giggling Squid – the nickname of one of their three children – was founded in the basement of a tiny fisherman’s cottage, now the Brighton restaurant, where dreams of replicating a little taste of home became a reality. The couple opened their first site in Hove in 2009 and have gone on to establish a strong reputation for authentic Thai cooking with an emphasis on signature curries and coastal specialities.