A Nottingham restaurant is preparing to open its second location in the city after the success of its Victoria Centre location. Clean Cut Kitchen has become a favourite with Nottingham's healthy food fans who love its pre-prepared meals and healthy snacks.
The new Clean Cut Kitchen is set to open on Pelham street next door to Bodycraft in the premises that was formerly occupied by Wired Coffee. The shop has been given a makeover ready to open with the exterior transformed with an ice blue paint job.
The Victoria Centre location has a large seating area in a section known for food. The new restaurant will take things back to basics offering takeaway, healthy 'fast' food.
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Founder Antonio Vendone has great plans for the business but says the past two years have been difficult to navigate due to Covid.
"I'm hoping it's going to be open in around four weeks but we've had delays due to tradespeople not being available as this year has been so busy. We are planning to take things back to the roots of where it all started as originally we were meant to be a takeaway concept offering an alternative way to have fast food or food on the go," he explained.
"We developed it over the years and made modifications as we need to in order to navigate the closures over the past two years. At the moment, we have a sit-down restaurant but we started as a takeaway that offered a meal preparation service for people who were conscious about what they ate if they were training or going to the gym."
Antonio spotted a gap in the market for people who were aiming to eat healthier food as there was nothing 'grab and go' on offer in the city. The new premises are perfectly placed underneath the Formula One Gym and within walking distance of many others .
"People initially thought we were going to be a vegan or vegetarian restaurant when we opened although we do have a good range of those. It will be more about people being able to call in, grab your meal prep, a nice smoothie or a healthy bowl. We will have balanced meals on offer along with other things."
Customers will be able to pre-order their meals through the website too while keeping an eye on what dishes are available. The dishes are designed to be mix and match with lots on offer. Dishes include jerk chicken on coconut rice with peas and kale, sweet potato cottage pie with greens, or a mouth-watering spicy peanut chicken with basmati rice.
"It's been a rollercoaster over the last two and a half years and we've had a lot to contend with. We started off on Derby Road and we had a lot of success at the start and then we moved to a larger location in Victoria centre but shortly after we had to close because of Covid," he said.
"When we reopened after lockdown, the majority of our customers were office workers who were now working from home. We struggled a bit at that time but we were given a lifeline as Victoria Centre were really supportive and offered us a move upstairs. However, it means a bit of a change in concepts towards a sit-down restaurant."
"I'm feeling really positive about the new concept on Pelham Street as we have a huge kitchen but it's a lot less power being on in a smaller unit. We will have a grab-and-go section with an emphasis on people being able to come in to grab their lunch quickly. We will have a big fridge with wrapped salads and macro bowls behind the counter which we specialise in," he added.
When it came to choosing a new location for the brand, Antonio felt that Hockley with its independent and creative feel was the perfect match for Clean Cut Kitchen. It was also the perfect location as the premises had been used as a coffee shop prior to being refitted so it didn't have to be converted from retail.
"Hockley is great for independent businesses and food options but when you walk through there, a lot of the restaurants are sit-down places. There are very few places you can nip in and grab food which is something that Hockley lacks although there are a lot of great coffee shops."
"We will be offering something different so I think it's going to be a big plus for the area. We also own Suede bar as well so I am going to really enjoy being back in Hockley during the day again. I'll be going between the two and Victoria Centre as well."
When it comes to the secret to the kitchen's success, Antonio feels it hasn't become fully successful yet. He is a huge part of the team when it comes to managing the business and driving it forward.
"A lot of effort goes into Clean Cut Kitchen but we haven't reached the level I consider success yet. This is possibly because the last two years have been about opening and closing but I'm on the ground all the time and in the kitchen along with other things. I've always been a big part of the team so I'm trying to evolve things.," he said.
"Where we are now, we have four years of learning behind us to put into the new place. I feel this is how it always should have been but the dream has come to fruition with this one."
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