Rawfish scoops Häagen-Dazs work

Häagen-Dazs is redesigning its iconic London flagship café located in Leicester Square, for the first time in five years, with a ‘cooler and sleeker’ retail concept.

The revised format is a development of the interior concept introduced by Redjacket in 2000 (DW 30 June 2000). Rawfish Design Consultants was appointed to the project last October, and the conceptual designs were approved in mid-December. Work starts on- site on 24 January, and the café will open in early March.

The redesigned café will feature ‘different zones’ such as designated coffee, lounge and bar areas. The take-away section will be re-located to the left-hand side of the café to allow for a convenient and easy one-way flow system.

In general, the interiors will have a softer ‘more chilled’ atmosphere, according to Andrew Barlow, director at Rawfish Design Consultants.

‘There will be more carpets and drapes in place. The space will be more inviting with lots of sofas; it will be less chilly,’ he says.

‘The zoning and layout is a complete change to the existing area and makes a more fluid use of the space,’ Barlow adds.

There will be a greater use of iconography and graphics throughout the café, with more backlit images and branding materials to ‘stimulate the senses’. The lighting system is also being overhauled, with the introduction of colour-changing lights to differentiate the zones.

‘This is a one-off project for the Leicester Square location. It is a very busy site and needed upgrading,’ says Keith Jones, business development and property director at Häagen-Dazs.