The history of pedestrianisation in London demonstrates one thing: foot traffic goes hand-in-hand with high quality retail and dining experiences, with the chance to chat and dine in the open tempting customers to spend time there. Today, streets such as London’s Sicilian Avenue are poised to form a vanguard for the wider pedestrianisation of London’s city centre, and research shows that glamorous, pedestrianised streets walk hand in hand with increased spending and luxurious choices.
First established in 1910, and a long-time haven for booksellers and restaurants, Sicilian Avenue is poised to reopen in the coming months, tempting consumers with its quirky Edwardian-style location and high-quality dining experiences.
With moves afoot to pedestrianise Oxford Street and other parts of Soho, Sicilian Avenue is far from alone. London’s famous Carnaby Street, immortalised in a musical and in songs by the Kinks, the Jam and Madness, was pedestrianised in 1973, leading to a 30% rise in the number of foot shoppers, and enshrining the street as a global tourist destination. Mayor Sadiq Khan described how both the Strand and Carnaby Street have been ‘transformed’ by pedestrianisation and singled out Carnaby Street as ‘a joy’.
Sicilian Avenue Research Graph - How much more or less likely are you to seek out premium food & drink experiences while visiting London now than in 2019? Overall
For shoppers and diners, central London represents more than just a place to eat and drink: it’s a place where high-quality experiences are within reach. In research this year, 52% of respondents said that they are more likely to choose a ‘premium’ option than they were in 2019. The research also found that 71% said that they were more likely to choose a restaurant or cafe on a pedestrianised street; but it was also clear that location has a prime role in creating 'premium experiences', with 32% of those surveyed saying a prime location was important, and over one in ten specifying a pedestrianised 'traffic-free' location as being important to choosing a restaurant or cafe to eat in, alongside other factors such as quality of service and sustainable surroundings.
Sicilian Avenue Research Graph - What premium elements are important to you when choosing a restaurant or cafe to eat in, if any? Overall, Male and Female
Pedestrianised Streets
In the summer months, as diners spill out into the streets, pedestrianised streets, such as the soon-to-reopen Sicilian avenue come into their own, with clinking glasses and laughter in the evening sun. For diners, research shows that such streets are an important factor in choosing a restaurant (with 14% of men and 9% of women saying that pedestrianised streets are an important factor when choosing a restaurant to dine in). Sustainable and environmentally friendly surroundings are also important to more than a quarter of diners (26%).
Buried in the heart of Bloomsbury, but just 90 seconds from Holborn, the architectural quirks of Sicilian Avenue hold the potential to tempt diners who are hungry for high-quality experiences, and further enshrine central London as the home of luxury lifestyles. Two-thirds of respondents say that the reason to visit London is socialising with friends, and over half do so because there are better food/drink options; this coupled with the cosy surroundings of Sicilian Avenue’s unique Edwardian street champions a new, high-quality face to central London, creating a city fit for the future.
Sicilian Avenue Research Graph - If you eat in restaurants or cafes while visiting London, why, if for any reason, do you do so? Overall, Male and Female