Lasan restaurant group expands to Leicester
BIRMINGHAM restaurant group Lasan is venturing east by launching its first venue in Leicester city centre.
The company has announced it will open Latin cocktail bar and restaurant Sonrisa in a grade II-listed former bank where it will offer Argentine-style eating with small plates of meat, seafood and vegetables. Sonrisa, which will be an offshoot of the group’s popular Fiesta Del Asado venues in Edgbaston and Solihull, is expected to create 40 new jobs when it launches later this year.
Lasan Group’s other venues are high-end Indian fine dining restaurant Lasan in the Jewellery Quarter and street food café Raja Monkey in Hall Green.
Group founder Jabbar Khan said: “We love the cool and quirky feel of St Martins and its wide range of independents which is a perfect fit for the Sonrisa concept.
“We saw a number of properties but 4 St Martins stood out for its character, size and position and our planned re-fit will only enhance what is already there. I’m really optimistic about the future and excited to launch this new venture.” Commercial property consultancy Innes England brokered the letting.
Associate director Joe Reilly added: “This is a first-class building and would serve many uses well so to get one of Birmingham’s bestknown culinary teams signed up as tenants proves the faith in the market here. The Lasan Group is an established bar and restaurant operator with a track record of success over almost two decades and we look forward to welcoming them to Leicester.”