Inception Group to open Mr Fogg's in Mayfair with Grosvenor loan

Inception Group is to open a new Mr Fogg’s cocktail bar in the former Balls Brothers site in London’s Mayfair.

The company, which is also behind the Bunga Bunga, Maggies and Cahoots concepts, has secured a loan from landlord Grosvenor’s Tenant Investment Fund.

The Mr Fogg’s brand has six London bars and is based around the life of Victorian traveller, Phileas Fogg. Its 34 Brook Street site will open in late spring and is described as a “sensational twist” on the concept.

Charlie Gilkes, founder of Inception Group, said: “The iconic former Balls Brothers site in Mayfair is a fantastic space from which to create a truly exceptional iteration of a Mr Fogg's cocktail bar. Mayfair is changing all the time. Alongside world-renowned brands like Claridge's and Le Petit Maison, we’ll be opening close to retail and hotel developments like the Rosewood and Biltmore in Grosvenor Square, and the South Molton Triangle development.”

Grosvenor’s Tenant Investment Fund was set up to help businesses to expand and diversify at a time when access to traditional bank funding is difficult. It also supported the launch of JKS Restaurants’ Bibi in Mayfair last year and is assisting Atis, an upcoming salad bar and bowl concept in Eccleston Yards, Belgravia.

Grosvenor said it approaches each investment opportunity on a case-by-case basis but has the ability to offer a range of partnerships from debt to equity. The value of the investment was not disclosed.