Business Spotlight: Eco Kingston
An insight into Clapham's favourite Italian restaurant, Eco, and why they made the bold move to reside in Kingston upon Thames.
We caught up with the Eco team to talk about origins, bold decisions, and future plans.
“Opening a second restaurant for Eco after almost 30 years of business in Clapham was exciting yet absolutely terrifying. We were excited to build and meet a whole new group of customers. We were excited to get the Eco name out there in new territories. But we didn’t know how the Kingston crowd would respond – and that was the terrifying part”.
“My father Sami’s restaurant, Eco, is a household name on Clapham’s high street, and has been for almost thirty years. Prior to the creation of Eco, Sami and my mother had taken over Pizzeria Franco, an iconic Italian eatery in Brixton Market, playing a central role in the continued success of the restaurant after previous owner Franco’s departure. From this came both the inspiration and knowledge, as well as the right contacts, to design their own restaurant in 1993. And Clapham’s reaction to Eco was incredible.”
“We’re lucky enough to be located along the beautiful riverside in the centre of town. As an independent family-run business, it was daunting entering into a space like this: one that’s lined with chain giants. But one thing we’ve come to learn in this short space of time is that Kingston is an exceptionally welcoming community. We’ve fallen in love with the great spirit everyone in this town carries with them. At our launch, we were only met with enthusiasm towards the delights of Eco and the kind of real care and interest in our story that you’d expect from a friend”.
“We plan to host brunches where we can get to know families in the area and learn how to accommodate their needs, and have already started pizza masterclasses for local children to get involved in after school. As an affordable eatery, we also aspire to connect with the student community here, and have some big plans in the works for student-based competitions and events later in 2022”.
We look forward to what Eco Kingston has in store for us this year! Don’t forget to follow their Facebook and Instagram and visit their Kingston branch by the riverside on Jerome Pl, Kingston upon Thames!