Belgo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belgo |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1992 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Current owner(s) | Casual Dining Group |
| Food type | Belgian |
| Street address | 1 King's Cross Road |
| City | London |
| State | UK |
| Postal/ZIP code | WC1X 9HX |
Belgo was a chain of restaurants in London that specialized in tasty Belgian food and Belgian beer. Imagine eating yummy mussels or fries! There were five Belgo restaurants, including places like Covent Garden and King's Cross.
The restaurants were famous for their cool design from the 1990s. At some locations, you could even see the kitchen as you walked in! The waiters and waitresses also dressed up as monks, which made the experience really unique. Sadly, most Belgo restaurants closed in July 2020.
History of Belgo
Belgo was started in 1992 by two friends, Denis Blais from Canada and Andre Plisnier from Belgium. They wanted to bring a taste of Belgium to London.
For a while, they even tried opening other restaurants called Bierodrome in different parts of London. These places were like bar-diners. But eventually, the company decided to focus only on the Belgo restaurants again.
In 1998, a businessman named Luke Johnson bought Belgo. He was known for helping other restaurant chains like Pizza Express grow. He tried to open Belgo restaurants outside London, like in Jersey, but those didn't last very long.
Later, in 2005, Johnson sold Belgo to a company called Tragus Group. This company is now known as Casual Dining Group. They also own other popular restaurant chains like Café Rouge and Bella Italia.
Belgo Closures
In July 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Casual Dining Group faced big challenges. They announced that three out of the four remaining Belgo restaurants would close for good.
Belgo and Charity
In 2013, Belgo teamed up with Comic Relief. This is a famous British charity that started in 1985. Comic Relief works to make positive changes in the lives of people who are poor or facing difficulties. Belgo was proud to be an official partner and help with their important work.
