'Culinary incubator' Hatchery is opening a Shanghai restaurant

After testing the Shanghai waters over the past ten months with a series of pop-ups and parties across the city, Beijing-based 'culinary incubator' Hatchery has announced its plan to open a restaurant at Huaihai Zhong Lu's 627 Huai Hai complex early next year (with soft opening expected sometime after Chinese New Year).

Labelling itself a 'culinary incubator', the Hatchery kitchen keeps things fresh by turning out a regular series of different food concepts 'worth growing'. Essentially, Hatchery serves as a testing ground for entrepreneurs looking to try out a new restaurant idea. In Beijing, it's metamorphosed from a space serving up Peruvian classics ceviche and pisco sours with Buena Onda, to a seafarer's haven with New Zealand green mussels and 'salty sea dog' hotdogs at Mighty Mo's Mussels and Beer Bar, and now it's slinging burgers, mac n cheese and fried fish sandwiches at its Australian diner-style concept Common Burger. According to Hatchery's Head of Shanghai, Clara Davis (of District) these concepts are all things we can expect to see in Shanghai, alongside collaborations and one-off events.

On the expansion down south, Davis says, 'We’re excited to build on the momentum of the platform in Beijing and the success of several pop-ups and collaborations with community partners in Shanghai over the last year... There’s so much energy and passion in the F&B scene here, and we can’t wait to contribute to that.'

What will be the latest in a string of Beijing stalwarts looking for a slice of the Shanghai pie – Hatchery is following in the footsteps of Tribe and Moka Bros – we're looking forward to seeing what this new addition will bring to Shanghai's ever-expanding food scene.

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