Japanese restaurant to open at new Reading office tower

One Station Hill is a landmark 17-storey office tower in the town centre which has had a rocky recent history.

A key milestone for the project was reached in September last year when developer Lincoln MGT and build partners Sir Robert McAlpine Construction celebrated the construction reaching its highest point.

Then a major fire broke out at One Station Hill last November, requiring crane operator Glen Edwards to rescue a fellow worker on the site.

But the One Station Hill team has been able to weather the storm since then, with 40 per cent of the space provided being reserved for PepsiCo, consultancy firm PwC and workspace company NewFlex.

READ MORE: Pepsi to occupy offices at new Station Hill building in Reading hit by fire

Now two food businesses have signed up to take space at the ground floor of the tower.

The Notes coffee roastery and bar chain has signed a 10-year lease for one of the units. The signing marks Notes’ first venture outside of London, where it currently runs 12 cafes.

Robert Robinson and Fabio Ferreira, co-founders of Notes said:  “We are thrilled to bring our single-origin specialty coffee to Reading.

“We have been planning to expand outside of London, and Station Hill offers a unique blend of a travel hub, high-spec offices, and a vibrant local community.

“We are excited to be at the heart of this thriving area—a place to enjoy brunch, high-quality coffee, and unwind after work.”

The second business announced for One Station Hill is the Kawaii Japanese restaurant.

Staff for Kawaii will transform it into a contemporary dining space with outdoor seating, featuring high-quality materials and imported crockery from Japan.

A promotional image of the upcoming food offer at the One Station Hill office tower in Reading. (Image: Station Hill / Lincoln MGT)

The Station Hill team claim Kawaii 'continues the tradition of celebrating local heroes' in the development, as it is a member of the Osaka restaurant brand situated in The Oracle, which regularly attracts queues of diners.

Announcement of these business occupants means that approximately 40 per cent of the lettable retail and leisure spaces have been occupied at the wider Station Hill development.

They follow the opening of Siren Craft Brew's RG1 bar and kitchen at the Ebb & Flow section of the development in May.

Evan Reynolds, the development director at Lincoln Property Company said: “Since the outset of Station Hill, our approach to retail leasing has been twofold: first, to target local heroes, ensuring that Station Hill celebrates Reading and avoids becoming just another identikit development filled with national chains; and second, to attract outstanding independents from London to Reading.

“These two new leases exemplify that strategy and will form the cornerstone to our placemaking and events strategy, which we are excited to roll out in 2025.”