The rise of the single-concept restaurant

Why one-stop-shops serving dishes designed around one ingredient are big business in the UK

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(Image credit: DAVID LOFTUS)

The Cereal Killer Cafe, which sells bowls of the breakfast staple for up to £4.50, may have attracted controversy when it opened two years ago, but its success has seen it expand from two branches in London to a new location in Birmingham this month.

It seems we're spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants with only one main item on the menu - November alone has seen the arrival of such establishments as Hip Chips in Soho, serving gourmet, freshly fried crisps that come with a variety of inventively flavoured sauces. For a sweet fix, in contrast, Harvey Nichols is running a limited-time Nutella dining experience from its London store.

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They follow in a long line of popular one-stop shops. Tartufi & Friends, located on the lower-ground floor of Harrods, should be the first port of call for truffles, with every item on the food menu featuring the Italian delicacy. Companies such as Arancini Brothers, serving the delicious stuffed rice balls, and ramen specialists Bone Daddies, meanwhile, continue to expand their reach, proving the single-focus concept has moved from novelty to the mainstream.