Portobello's Best Addition

What do the people of Portobello Road need more than an extension of antiques and vintage? Date night. Portobello Road is nestled next to Notting Hill, a borough made famous in a Hugh Grant love movie, but that love seems unrequited by Portobello Road. Chilli’s is the answer. Yes, there are plenty of restaurants and bars in the area of Portobello Road, but its missing that place where you can go with your partner and have a 2-for-20, or whatever that would equate in pounds, and a relatively inexpensive margarita. Chilli’s Bar and Grille has everything that the dining and bar scene in Portobello Road is missing. A friendly environment that offers a change in pace from the eccentric and eclectic personality of the streets. Everywhere in the borough is paved with vintage shops and stores, which are accompanied with creative and unique eats—crepe shops, gastropubs, pizzarias, and other out-of-the-box dinner scenes. A Chilli’s offers a refreshing break from the hip and a return to the normal. The main appeal of Chilli’s Bar and Grille are its deals, reasonably priced and tasty food and drink, friendly atmosphere and—arguably most important—molten chocolate cake. Picture it now: two parents, after a long day of picking up their children from school and football practice just want to split a meal and have a drink, but aren’t willing to pay an obscene amount. Bam! They see a Chilli’s and they’re instantly intrigued. They’re able to get two entrees for twenty pounds and split a signature Chilli’s margarita, then finish their meal with a large helping of chocolate cake, topped with ice cream and magic shell. Magic shell varies on location.

Who wouldn't want to eat this.

Portobello Road is a likely choice for a Chilli’s location because it isn’t in an extremely high cosmopolitan area and therefore won’t cost an arm and a leg for rent, but it still brings in huge and heavy foot traffic. The Portobello Road Market happens every Friday and Saturday of the week and attracts almost two thousand people. The only thing people want after a long day of bargain hinting and selling their antiquities is a nice cocktail and some Cajun chicken pasta. The area also has plenty of children because, as stated before, it’s predominantly a family neighborhood. Children would be attracted to Chilli’s for its simple-yet- delicious kids’ menu. Additionally, at every table Chilli’s has handheld gaming devices that would bring in great revenue—seeing as how they cost $1.00 per game and parents will pay as much as they can to keep their children busy and distracted.

A Chilli’s in Portobello Road would be a lucrative stepping stone in transitioning the restaurant into the U.K. and then greater Europe. As Portobello Road is a small town in between two larger, more opulent boroughs, thus it would appeal to all different socioeconomic backgrounds; its inexpensive cuisine can bring families of all sizes that are looking to save money. On that same note, it’s perfect for families of a more comfortable income, looking to have a date without breaking the bank. Chilli’s unique environment is like a cross between London’s popular Garfunkel’s restaurant and O’Neill’s Pub because; yet, it’s food tastes better at a lower price, which is something all Londoners can get behind. Restaurants with menus similar to Chilli’s seem to always do wellin London, because there’s an appeal of American food overseas. As mentioned before, Garfunkel’s, O’Neill’s, and Nando’s do extremely well in London, yet people are still apprehensive because of the food to cost ratio. By that I mean, you’re paying a pretty handsome amount for not a pretty portion. Chilli’s is different in that way. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. You’re paying around ten pounds or so for a classic American meal like the Big Mouth Bites, or pasta, or even chicken tenders—a definite underrated dish in the boroughs of London. Portobello Road and Chilli’s go hand in hand in that sense. It’s an affordable community that deserves an affordable choice in restaurant. A family restaurant like Chilli’s couldn’t possibly fit in better in a family oriented neighborhood like Portobello Road.

"Yeah, I could use a new place to eat" said Tom Habershim, residentin Portobello.

As a neighborhood, Portobello Road doesn’t have more than a dozen places to eat for dinner. Its restaurants are niche markets that match the personalities of people. Therefore, Chili’s has less markets to compete with fellow restaurants. Nobody in the area serves American grille food, in a normal, cozy environment. Nowhere in Portobello Road can you get a chilli bacon burger and a frozen margarita for twelve pounds. “The restaurants in Portobello Road are interesting to say the least. You have to be in the mood to go out to eat, and even then you can find better food on the markets in the street.” Said Katherine Junk, Portobello Road resident.

Katherine

And, because some of the most popular places to eat are street vendors in the market, It’s not constant so, people are still on the lookout for a stable and delicious to eat, seven days a week. There is no other places better than Chilli’s to take that role on.

niche restaurant