John Lewis has confirmed a major change is coming to several of its stores. A new restaurant concept is being rolled out across 32 branches, with Edinburgh on the list. Dubbed 'Platter', the rebrand will take over the department chain's long-standing 'The Place To Eat' cafes.
A statement on the Scottish branch's website confirms the change, reading: "Get ready for something even tastier: Coming soon." As of writing, it is unclear when work will begin on the Scottish branch, located in the St. James Quarter. Other areas included on the list are Exeter, Bluewater, Chichester and Reading, with the latter three already reopened.
Flagship Oxford Street unveiled
Meanwhile, John Lewis has said the "fullest expression" of the rebrand can be found at its flagship on Oxford Street. Officially unveiled two weeks ago, it is said to seat over 300 customers, making it "one of the biggest" restaurants in the area. Located on the sixth floor of the shop, the new café boasts an open-plan kitchen that serves hand-stretched pizzas, a made-on-site deli and a dessert parlour. There's also a stylish bar overlooking the shop's atrium, alongside 50 outdoor covers on its fifth-floor terrace.
Oxford Street's 'Platter' also features a new in-store Roastery, with a master roaster overseeing the roasting of a single-origin Arabica bean coffee, sourced exclusively for John Lewis, to serve at the flagship. For the first time, the beans are now available to buy. That's not all, as the Oxford Street branch now also houses The Residency, a rotating pop-up launching with London patisserie The Eclectic Collection, whose viral fruit-shaped desserts are available nowhere else outside their own two shops.
What to expect in Edinburgh
While it's unclear what Edinburgh's upcoming Platter restaurant will feature, John Lewis shares that each concept is "designed around the scale and character of its shop". This means that it may differ for each location. The huge rebrand marks part of John Lewis' major £800 million multi-year investment into its shops and digital experience. It also follows a shift in consumer habits, with the retailer claiming that hospitality now makes up 20 percent of its transactions.
Speaking of the Oxford restaurant, Katie Papakonstantinou, Director of Services and Hospitality for John Lewis, said: "This is a real investment in something customers told us mattered. Sitting down for something to eat and drink has become part of how people shop and Platter is built for that. Platter serves our own coffee - with beans roasted right here in Oxford Street - alongside an open kitchen making pizza, deli and patisserie on site. Whether stopping for coffee, a pizza with family, a treat from the dessert parlour or a drink at the bar, we’ve created a space that makes a shopping trip even more special."
Glasgow store overhaul
The Edinburgh branch is not the only Scottish John Lewis store to receive an upgrade. The department giant announced in June this year that it had pumped £20 million into the overhaul of its Glasgow branch. The chain's second only store in Scotland, which can be found in the Buchanan Galleries, is set to become home to new brands, experiences and services, turning it into an "exciting retail destination full of discovery."
The project is expected to cover the store's full 28,000 sq. ft of space across five floors, making it the "biggest store investment in five years". Taking place in phases, the revamp will start with the ground floor, which will be kitted out with a new 'World of Tech' and sports department - set to be completed by next month (September). Other exciting new additions will be an enhanced menswear and home department, set to be completed by mid-November, with a new Gift Emporium and womenswear section being opened by March 2027. A new beauty and fragrance hall will complete the project by late spring 2027.
Overall, the entire overhaul of the Glasgow branch is expected to take one year to complete. Nevertheless, shoppers have been reassured that the store will remain open as normal, meaning they can check out the new changes as soon as they are completed.
