Tender opportunity: Thames Barrier Park Café

Thames Barrier Park is at the heart of the Royal Docks, one of the most rapidly growing areas in London.

The Royal Docks Team is inviting Expressions of Interest from established businesses to take on the management and running of Thames Barrier Park Cafe for a 6.5-year term.

The Royal Docks is one of London’s largest regeneration projects, with thousands of new homes, workplaces and other amenities coming forward as part of the area’s incredible transformation. Significant investment in transport, the public realm, and cultural placemaking is boosting connectivity and bringing a wealth of new opportunities to the area and its communities.

As the biggest park in the Royal Docks, Thames Barrier Park provides a vital and unique outdoor space for the community. It was recently honoured with its sixth consecutive Green Flag award in recognition of its commitment to promoting biodiversity and fostering community engagement.

The café is in a stunning building in the centre of the park with views of the Thames. It has recently undergone a complete renovation, both internally and externally, with new facilities throughout including pizza oven, internal and external lighting and decking with additional seating and planting. The residential population has grown enormously over recent years with over 4,000 new apartments now within direct vicinity of the park. A further 30,000 new homes will be built over the coming years and an estimated 41,000 people will soon to be working in the area, providing a potential new customer base.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced operator who can maximise the potential of the new building and create a thriving and much needed café for the community. We are particularly interested in hearing from established businesses who can demonstrate a commitment to working in partnership with local stakeholders to create a community hub, hosting and offering events for local people.

Our ambition is for the café to reopen by Spring 2024.

The closing date for Expressions of Interest is 27th October 2023.

The brief can be downloaded from www.royaldocks.london/thamesbarrier23

For further details please email thamesbarrierpark@avisonyoung.com and include Thames Barrier Park Café in the subject line or call 020 7911 2082

For more information on the Royal Docks and how the area is being transformed please visit www.royaldocks.london or follow us @yourroyaldocks