Press Release: Wednesday 4th January

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Restaurateurs to expand Chicken & Blues and Flamingo Café Bar brands with acquisition of James & White Group.

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Aviary Hospitality, the multi-award winning hospitality collective that was officially formed in 2020 by entrepreneurs Joshua Simons and Steve Crawford, will open a third regional location for Chicken & Blues in the heart of Christchurch, alongside a beach-side second home for their Miami-inspired neighbourhood café concept, Flamingo Café Bar, which debuted successfully in 2021 and is set to add colour and flair to Boscombe Spa.

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Joshua Simons, co-founder Aviary Hospitality: “We’re delighted to have acquired such prominent locations, both of which have been home to successful restaurant operations for decades. We see these landmark sites as a generational opportunity, and the team couldn’t be more excited. On a personal note, myself and Steve are thrilled to be growing both brands in unison, and look forward to them starting to realise their potential in the months and years to come.”

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James, co-founder James and White: “After well over 10 years running James and White in Christchurch and Boscombe Spa, the time has come for us to pass the baton as we move onto other projects. We were keen for these legacy sites to end up in the right hands – as such, we’re delighted that Joshua and Steve can continue to grow their exciting concepts across the region. Thank you to our customers for their loyal support over the years”. 

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Chicken & Blues Christchurch is set to open in late February 2023, with Flamingo Boscombe Spa following pre-Summer. Over 50 jobs will be created, taking Aviary Hospitality’s combined workforce to over 120.

 

For more information, visit www.aviaryhospitality.com.