Openings

There are three new food places since our last blog post! Vegan cafe Buttercream Dreams is based on the ground floor of Project B at 3–7 Middle Street, and serves cakes and drinks as well as daily-changing savoury options such as Hungarian stew, pizza, and sausage roll with home-made beans.

Moj Y Moj at 63–65 High Street serves halal burgers and paratha rolls including vegetarian options. Somewhat less excitingly, a branch of Chicken Cottage has opened at 65 Church Street.

Other interesting new openings include Incensed (UK) Ltd at 19a St George’s Walk, selling candles, incense, crystals, and books; and a haberdashery and knitting shop called B Fashions at 11 Whitgift Centre.

The Whitgift Centre has also had several other new openings recently: a couple of homewares shops called Stacks (Units 8–9) and Inside Out (Units 98–99), two clothes shops called Krisp (Units 117–118) and The Market Boutique (Unit 66), and a vape shop called Evapo (Unit 158).

Finally, a beauty salon called Beautylicious has opened at 9 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road; an anonymous shop selling mobile phones, watches, and bags has opened at 168 North End; another mobile phone shop called Mobiles & Bitz has opened at 5 Crown Hill; and a minicab firm called Courier Cars has opened a branch at 22 South End, expanding from their original location near Norbury Station.

Closures

Balancing out the abovementioned food-related openings, Montien Thai Restaurant at 1078–1079 Whitgift Centre, Mirch Masala at 40–42 South End, and Bloomers Bakery at 20e Selsdon Road have all closed.

Amidst much sadness (see many articles in the local press for details), Tiger Tiger at 16 High Street has closed.

Avers at 32 North End has also closed, though is likely less missed, given that it only opened last autumn; and Arthur Hayes Optometrists has closed its branch at 1070 Whitgift Centre (its East Grinstead practice remains open).

Coming soon

A Mediterranean bar and restaurant called The Meze Lounge is due to open at 65 South End within the next 2–3 weeks. This is under the same management as Playground next door.

The long-vacant premises at 75–77 High Street have been granted planning permission for use as a “tech hub” including office space and a cafe, possibly to be called The Click.

43 St George’s Walk is under refurbishment to open as a business called Luso. We don’t yet know what sort of thing this will be. Next door, 45 St George’s Walk appears to be in the process of reopening as a wedding dress shop.

Other news

A beauty salon called Lava opened last month at 74 London Road, replacing Finjan coffee shop and cafe. However, it seems to have closed again — whether this is permanent or temporary, we’re not sure. Similarly, a clothes shop called Kranti opened in Unit 93, Whitgift Centre, but has now closed again; the unit is vacant and stripped out.

After a brief period hosting a mock auction, Portre at 30 North End is once more trading as a clothes shop.

Home Living, previously at 34–36 North End, is now at 94–95 Whitgift Centre.

Several places have rebranded and/or relaunched. The most prominent of these is probably Reflex at 18 High Street, which has relaunched under the name of Luna. In addition, GNC at 1034 Whitgift Centre is now called MET-Rx, the Morrisons M Local branch at 6a Lansdowne Road is now known as My Local, and Shoppers Amusements at 71 North End has changed its name to Admiral.

Openings

A Polish delicatessen called Mleczko has opened at 68 High Street (previously Black Sheep Bar). This is the first South London outpost of an established West London chain, and its opening in Croydon has been accompanied by something of an advertising blitz, with posters at tram stops, on buses, and alongside roads.

A sweet shop called American Candy has opened at Unit 63, Centrale, unsurprisingly specialising in American sweets but also stocking a few savoury things as well as some very Scottish-looking treats. Un-Americanly, it is cash only.

Yet another mobile phone accessories shop has opened at 1 Derby Road. It seems not to have its own sign yet, so can be found under that of its predecessor, Jewellery World. (It also, for some reason, sells popcorn.)

Finally, a bakery and cafe called Brews & Bakes has opened at 20e Selsdon Road (previously Bloomers Bakery).

Closures

Gelattiamo at 187 London Road has closed, but the premises are being refitted to open as a “vape & coffee shop” called Smoketronics.

Fashion Gems at 104 North End has closed, though it seems like something else is coming soon — when we wandered past the other weekend, the shop was undergoing quite a drastic refurbishment involving multiple people and power tools.

The Hawkin’s Bazaar branch at Unit 64, Centrale has closed, as has Fabric Warehouse at Unit 74, Centrale, as has the 99p Stores branch at 12–18 Crown Hill (see below for news on its North End branch).

Other news

The charity Crisis has been granted planning permission to open a day centre for homeless people at Bridge House, 11–19 Surrey Street, formerly the Surrey Streatery.

99p Stores at 139 North End has transformed into a branch of Poundland. One hopes they have also fixed the previous terrible layout that made it impossible to escape the shop without spending half an hour circling the central aisles in the hope of catching a glimpse of the way out.

Noodle 23 at 103–105 High Street has rebranded to Wei Dao, though little else seems to have changed, and the menu is still the same.

Finally, the plan to open a branch of Rodeos burgers at 87–89 High Street appears to have been definitively abandoned.

Openings

Croydon has acquired several new food places since we last posted. Firstly, an Italian cafe called Ciao Bella has replaced the sadly-missed Franco’s Caffe at 54 Surrey Street. Just around the corner from there is new Caribbean restaurant The Dutchie, in the basement at Unit 3, The Arcade, 32–34 High Street.

A branch of sushi chain Kokoro has opened at 42 George Street (the old premises of Mexway), offering an alternative to Centrale’s Yo Sushi and the Whitgift’s Tashi Sushi (though don’t forget the long-standing Osushi at 47 South End — unlike these, a proper restaurant).

A “tech hub” called TMRW (or possibly Tomorrow) has opened at 75–77 High Street, incorporating an open-to-the-public cafe called Byte Cafe. Vegans will enjoy their substantial salads, but omnivores are catered for too.

For those who like desserts, there’s now a branch of Krispy Kreme in the Whitgift Centre.

Moving on to food shops, a Portuguese, Brazilian, and Angolan grocery shop called Luso has opened at 43 St George’s Walk; while a branch of Tariq Halal Meats has opened at 89 London Road, bringing camel meat and wagyu beef burgers to the people of West Croydon.

Vaping is apparently the new thing. Smoketronics, the vape and coffee shop previously reported as “coming soon”, has now opened at 187 London Road, and another vape shop called Vapepit has opened at 123 South End. Nine months ago, Croydon had no vape shops, and now it has three (Evapo at 158 Whitgift Centre having opened late last year).

Croydon being Croydon, we also have a new art gallery, hairdresser, clothes shops, and yet another place offering mobile phone repair. 2–4 Park Street is now the home of art studio and gallery Studio Upstairs, which aims to support people with mental health problems, and provides drop-in art sessions as well as exhibitions.

The London Bridal Boutique, which used to have a concession in Croydon Council’s Pop-Up Emporium at 86–88 Church Street, now has its own permanent home at 45 St George’s Walk. Those who desire clothing for reasons other than weddings can visit Project Fashion, a new discount clothes shop at 29 Whitgift Centre.

Hairdresser and dressmaker Beauty Queen Salon/Home Sweet Home has opened at 40 Church Street, a soft furnishings shop called Prime Linens has opened at 104 North End, and a combination mobile phone and computer repair shop, internet cafe, and dressmaker/tailor has opened at 175 London Road.

Closures

It’s been a few months since we last did a round-up of recent closures, so there are several to report.

In food-related closures, Pita Pit at 125 North End, Chilli Room at 24–26 South End, Pizza Express at 3 South End, Doughmasters at 4 Suffolk House, George Street, Grill@12 at 12 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, and Bodrum Kebab at 48 High Street are all no more. The closure of Doughmasters is perhaps the most poignant of these; according to the notice in the window announcing its closure, it had been in Croydon for 20 years.

Other closures are Rings And Things/Innocent Needle at 212 High Street, Cash & Cheque Express at 50 Surrey Street, the Vodafone branch at 74 North End, Retro CR0 at 15 St George’s Walk, Envy at 161 Whitgift Centre, Officers Club at 74–75 Whitgift Centre, Market Boutique at 66 Whitgift Centre, Hulsta Studios/Ligne Roset at 46–47 Whitgift Centre (and the associated Grange upstairs in Units 1046–1048), Inside Out at 98–99 Whitgift Centre, Menkind at 31–32 Whitgift Centre, Yoke Menswear at 1036–1037 Whitgift Centre, and Optimax and Destination Skin at 103–105 High Street.

Finally, Aurum has closed its shop at 95 South End due to expiry of the lease, but continues in business at its other premises at 290 Lower Addiscombe Road.

Coming soon

Previously reported as “coming soon”, The Meze Lounge opened briefly at 65 South End but then closed again. It is now under new management and due to reopen this Friday (22 July 2016).

The old premises of Mirch Masala at 40–42 South End have signs up saying a branch of pizza restaurant Bianco 43 will be opening there soon.

Other news

Minicab firm Kendall Cars has changed its name to Minicab.Com and moved to larger premises at 13 Suffolk House, George Street (entrance on College Road).

Several other businesses have also moved: Geoffrey Butler Cycles has moved from 15 South End to 429 Brighton Road, CR2 6EU, the Whitgift Dental Practice has moved from 1080 Whitgift Centre to 70 Chatsworth Road, CR0 1HB, Minuteman Press has moved from 12a Suffolk House, George Street to 19 Stafford Road, CR0 4NG, and the EE shop at 85 North End has moved to larger premises next door at numbers 87–89.

In other name-change news, Harvest at 38 Surrey Street has become Tasty Heaven. They still do kebabs and burgers, but the fish and chips have been replaced by biryani. Everyday’s at 136 North End has changed its name to GFC, though the new management haven’t yet got around to changing the frontage sign. The formerly-anonymous mobile phone shop at 168 North End now has the rather unimaginative name of Croydon Mobile Centre, and Sasa Jewellery in the Whitgift Centre is now known as Caprice Jewellery.

Lidl at 68–74 Church Street has been extended into the neighbouring premises previously occupied by the Croydon Furniture Centre.

BHS at 69–73 Whitgift Centre is due to close at some point, due to the chain going into administration, but at the time of writing not even the staff have been told exactly when it will close.

Pizzeria Pellone at 256 High Street appears to have started offering delivery, with online ordering via Hungry House.

Finally, the Five Guys burger chain has been granted prior approval to open a branch in part of the old Yates’s premises at 7–11 High Street, though at the time of writing there’s little evidence of this actually happening.

Openings

The diversity of Croydon’s food offerings has increased yet again, with a new Romanian restaurant called Mahala opening at 83 Church Street (previously Big Mamma/The Gun) and Indian street food restaurant Bombay Brunch taking over Khyber’s old premises at 284–288 High Street.

South End also has two new food places: Caribbean restaurant Little Mobay at number 95 and Italian restaurant Bianco₄₃ at numbers 40–42.

The Co-op is expanding its operations in Croydon, with a new supermarket at 6a Lansdowne Road (replacing the previous My Local) and another branch of its funeral services at 2 Brighton Road.

There are two new clothes shops in the Whitgift Centre: a branch of discount clothes chain Choice in Units 98–99, and Bella in Unit 161.

Closures

Bella Italia at 18 George Street has closed, as has Cafe Leon at Leon House, 233 High Street.

There are several closures to report in the Whitgift Centre and Centrale. (We don't survey Centrale very often, so some of these closures might have happened a while ago.) Whitgift closures are Multiyork in Units 1040–1042, Spirit in Units 21–22, Anna in Unit 123, Virgin Media in Unit 122, and BHS in Units 69–73, while Centrale has lost American Candy in Unit 63, Oxygen Red in Units 13–17, and Petals in Unit 3.

The Chelsea Building Society branch at 15 George Street has also closed.

Coming soon

3 Ruskin Parade (on Selsdon Road) is currently under refurbishment to open as a Romanian shop called Dobrogea.

Other news

Food delivery firm Deliveroo has arrived in Croydon, with several restaurants and a wine shop signed up at the time of writing.

The gym at 44 Surrey Street previously run by Virgin Active has been taken over by Nuffield Health. Chihetos at 8 Ye Market (Selsdon Road) has become Baraka Chicken & Pizza, though we’re not sure it’s still open even under that name. Pizzeria Pellone at 256 High Street has been renamed to 500 Degrees, but remains under the same ownership.

Several moves have taken place: Niha beauty salon has moved from 181a North End to larger premises at 60–62 London Road; children’s clothes shop Finoora has moved from 1035 Whitgift Centre to Airport House, Purley Way; accountancy firm Palmer McCarthy has moved from 49a South End to Carlton Road in South Croydon; the Yorkshire Building Society has moved from 3 George Street just down the road to 66–68 George Street; parcel firm Post & Packing has moved from 13 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road to North End Mall (which runs through Croydon Village Outlet between North End and George Street); and clothes shop Mbuta Nanga!, previously at 83 North End, has also moved to Croydon Village Outlet.

Finally, Ciao Bella at 54 Surrey Street is (temporarily?) closed and undergoing some sort of refurbishment.

Openings

Tattoo magazine Paperchasers Ink has opened a shop and studio at 10 St George’s Walk. Pop in for a free copy of their magazine! They also offer tattooing services, but only by appointment.

A Polish takeaway called Open Faced Hot Baguette has opened at 1 Derby Road. For the first few weeks of its life it sold zapiekanki, or “Polish pizzas” — toasted baguette halves with toppings such as mushrooms, Polish sausage, peppers, and cheese. However, it has now pivoted to boxed meals based on potatoes and Polish sausage.

A buffet restaurant called Comboco has opened at 63–65 High Street. This was previously Moj Y Moj, which was just the latest in a string of short-lived business ventures at the old premises of Bar Red Square. Hopefully Comboco will be longer-lasting, though at the time of writing it has temporarily closed again for refurbishment.

In other food-related news, a Polish grocery shop called Polish Deli Gucio has opened at 224 London Road, a Romanian grocery shop called Dobrogea has opened at 3 Ruskin Parade, Selsdon Road, yet another branch of Greggs has opened at 51 North End, and a food-and-drink-focused mall called Boxpark has opened at 99 George Street.

A puzzle-based live action gaming center called SI5 SpyMissions has opened in Exchange Square (just off Surrey Street).

A hairdresser and beauty salon called Beauty Village has opened at 181a North End.

There are several new openings in Centrale and the Whitgift Centre: a clothing and accessories shop called Limelight at Unit 3, Centrale, a popup shop apparently called #popupcroydon at Unit 66, Whitgift Centre, a carpet shop called Tapi Carpets & Floors at Units 31–32, Whitgift Centre, and a discount bookshop called New Stories at Units 21–22, Whitgift Centre.

Closures

Depa Indiana at 5 Derby Road has closed. According to a member of staff at the convenience store next door, it’s likely to become a chicken and/or pizza shop, as the owners have had difficulty recruiting enough Bangladeshi/Indian chefs. It would be quite a loss if this happened, since according to historical phone book data this site has been an Indian restaurant since at least 1961, and indeed a Croydon Advertiser article from a few years ago suggests that it could well have been the first one in Croydon.

A V Zones at 38 St George’s Walk has closed. This may have happened some time ago; the last time we definitely saw it open was over a year ago, but there was still stock remaining inside until relatively recently. Other closures are Pound Plus Bargain at 40 London Road, Blue Turtle at Units 146–147, Whitgift Centre, and Project Fashion at Unit 29, Whitgift Centre.

Latest at 135a North End is now, well, late.

Coming soon

A branch of German Doner Kebab is due to open at 27 George Street (recently vacated by A-Z Office Centre, which has merged with its other branch at 28 George Street).

Cafe Havana, which already has a presence at 20 South End and 38 South End, is in the process of opening a branch at 12a Suffolk House, George Street.

A sign for some kind of business called Lagos Island has appeared at 41 St George’s Walk, though there are no indications of what this will be.

Other news

Le Petit Pain on Keeley Road is closed “until further notice”. However, there are still bottled drinks in the fridge inside, and they appear to be clearing the post away, so it seems possible that it might reopen at some point.

Discount People/G Pound Zone at 29–31 St George’s Walk is currently closed, with substantial building work going on inside; we don’t yet know if it will still be the same sort of thing when it reopens.

Anna’s on the High Street has moved from number 235–241 to number 281, and Robert Edward Insurance Consultants has moved from 1a Selsdon Road to 28 Dingwall Road, CR0 2NH. Menkind, a gift shop previously at Units 31–32 in the Whitgift Centre, is now in Unit 123.

Solnishko at 34 Station Road has had a makeover and is now spelled Solnyshko.

Croydon Repair Centre at 9 Derby Road is now Prime Money Transfer.

Finally, West Croydon Bus Station has reopened. Hurrah!

Openings

Saravanaa Bhavan has opened at 18 George Street. This is the latest branch of a worldwide chain of Indian vegetarian restaurants, serving thalis, dosas, and much more.

A new chapter in the ongoing saga of 63–65 High Street has begun. Comboco, reported as a new opening in our last blog post, has closed down already, and been replaced by a pizza place called Pizza Ora. Notices in the windows promise “Freshly made 12″ Italian pizza from only £3.95”.

Previously reported as “coming soon”, German Doner Kebab at 27 George Street and Cafe Havana at 12a Suffolk House, George Street have both now opened.

54 Surrey Street has been home to three Italian cafes in the past two years. The latest, Eat Well On The Street, sells not only freshly-cooked pizzas but also grilled meats, served in baguettes, with chips, or with rice. Also new on Surrey Street is Real Flavour Caribbean Takeaway at number 38.

A cafe and takeaway has opened at 30–32 Station Road, selling coffee, smoothies, cakes, and savoury buns for eating in, as well as Ghanaian meals to take away.

A branch of Turtle Bay has opened at the old Tiger Tiger premises (16 High Street), a branch of Sam’s chicken shop has opened in the old Bodrum premises at 48 High Street, and a chicken, burger, and kebab shop called Chicago’s has opened at 244 High Street.

Three — three! — new vape shops have opened, thus doubling the number of such establishments in central Croydon: E’Liquidly at 9 Derby Road, Vape King at 212 High Street, and Vape & Mobile at 1 Selsdon Road.

An electronics shop called Orbis Outlet has opened at 29–31 St George’s Walk; a clothes, gifts, and homewares shop called Anesu Kolours has opened at 51 St George’s Walk; and another homewares shop called London Home Outlet has opened at 19–21 High Street.

A gym called Anytime Fitness has opened at The Exchange, 4–6 Scarbrook Road. Despite the name, it has a notice on the door firmly declaring that it’s not a 24-hour gym, and is only open from 7am to 11:30pm.

A hairdressers and beauty salon called Studio Perfect has opened at 4 St George’s Walk (previously Groszek Polish supermarket), another called Allure has opened at 208 High Street, a barber shop called The Barber Shop has opened at 2 St George’s Walk (previously All City London), and a hairdressers called Hairbox has opened at 1015 Whitgift Centre.

A clothes shop called Look Out, Lady! (subtitle: LOL!) has opened at 135a North end, another called Sapphire has opened at Unit 29, Whitgift Centre, an underwear shop called Yaz has opened at 1032 Whitgift Centre, and a jewellery shop called Desire has opened at 142 Whitgift Centre. Those who find their new clothes don’t quite fit the way they like may wish to visit the newly-opened Top Stitch at 15 High Street, which offers clothing alterations and dry cleaning.

A new branch of Superdrug has opened at Units 13–17, Centrale. (This is in addition to the branch at Units 104–106, Whitgift Centre, not a replacement for it.)

A Crisis drop-in centre for homeless people has opened at 11–19 Surrey Street.

Closures

Bar Txt at 73 South End has closed down, following an announcement on Instagram. SLVR at 34 Surrey Street has also closed, but a new nightclub called We’reHouse is due to open in its old premises tonight (Thursday 13 April 2017).

The branch of Subway in the Whitgift Centre has closed, as has RG Caribbean Cuisine at 296 High Street.

Masquerade at 36 St George’s Walk has closed its Croydon shop and relocated to Rye.

Other closures are Bonita at 33 George Street, Chitter Chatter at 92 North End, Plan Personnel at 19 London Road, Avenu Hair at 49 Surrey Street, D’Finest Hair Salon at 3 Overton’s Yard, New Stories at 21–22 Whitgift Centre, Home Living at 94–95 Whitgift Centre, Vodafone at 36 Whitgift Centre, Krisp at 117–118 Whitgift Centre, Secret Curves at 37 Surrey Street, Menkind at 123 Whitgift Centre, Goldhawk Service & MOT Centre at 86 South End, and Easy PC Repair Centre at 14 St George’s Walk (the last of these might have happened some time ago, as it’s a while since we last saw it open).

Coming soon

Panini Cafe at 106 High Street has been replaced by Malaika’s. At the time of writing it operates solely as a daytime British cafe as before, but there are plans to start opening in the evenings to serve East African food.

Other news

Caffe del Ponte at 80–88 High Street has transformed into a cafe-bar called Memory Box. It’s still open for food all day, including breakfast, but now also stays open late to serve cocktails.

Crushed Bean at 81 High Street has had a change of management, and is now offering savoury food as well as sweet.

Big Spoon at 92 High Street has moved across the road to share premises with Wei Dao at 103–105 High Street, though it continues to operate as takeaway/delivery only.

Inegol Home at 79 High Street is now run by a different company, Novita, though at the time of writing Novita seems to be mainly selling off the old Inegol Home stock.

Croydon Cars at 215 High Street now has a sign for Alpha Cars instead, though it’s not entirely clear whether this is open yet.

TaxAssist Accountants at 103 South End has rebranded to Tax4Today Accountants.

Gift shop Petals, previously in Unit 3, Centrale, reopened at 125 North End, but has now closed down again.

Taste of Jamaica at 23 Church Street has been renamed to Jerk & Fried Chicken. We’re not yet sure if there was also a change of management, and in any case, at the time of writing it’s closed and has building work going on inside. It’s not clear whether this closure is permanent or temporary.

Abshar at 67 South End has expanded into next door and hence is now at 65–67 South End.

Several businesses have moved premises: The Magical Haircut has moved across the road from 92 South End to number 97, All Clear Dental Practice has moved from 1072-1073 Whitgift Centre to 5 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, Berry Recruitment has moved from 291–293 High Street to 1a Selsdon Road, and Body Beautiful has moved from 301–305 High Street to a location that a sign in the window describes as “opposite Tesco”, though we haven’t yet been able to figure out which Tesco.

Finally, Millets will soon be moving from 50–54 High Street just up the road to 3–5 High Street (currently occupied by Blacks).

When we launched the Completists’ Guide to Croydon back in August 2012, we planned to keep it running indefinitely — making sure the information stayed up to date, reporting openings and closures, and keeping everything carefully categorised to make it easy to find out where to get your mobile phone repaired, have your nails done, fill a prescription, buy African groceries, or go out for breakfast.

However, since Kake accidentally turned into a local historian, we've found that the work of keeping things up to date is interfering with our other projects, so we’ve decided to wind the site down at the end of 2019.

All the information will still be available, giving a historical record of central Croydon retail during the decade of the 2010s, but there will be no more updates after midnight on 31 December 2019.

We hope you’ve found the site useful over the five years we’ve been running it so far, and that you’ll continue to find it useful over the next year and a half. And please keep letting us know if you find anything here that’s out of date! We won’t stop adding updates until the very last moment.

Openings

A Romanian deli and sandwich shop called Terra House has opened at 206 High Street. They don’t have any sit-in space — it’s quite a small shop — but their sandwiches are made from their own bread baked on the premises.

Those who wish to eat their sandwiches on the premises might prefer to visit Buongiorno, an Italian cafe and bakery newly opened at 20e Selsdon Road. For more substantial meals, a Brazilian rodizio and buffet restaurant called Rodizio Grill has opened at 87–89 High Street.

A halal butchers called Khan Halal Meat has opened at 21–23 Church Street, meaning that Church Street now has three halal butchers in a stretch of around 50 metres (and there’s another one just around the corner on Surrey Street). We haven’t had a chance yet to pop in and see if it offers anything substantially different from its neighbours.

Speaking of clusters of businesses, yet another vape shop has opened: Vaporized, at 125 North End.

For those of you who like to do things to your hair, a hairdressers called By The Grace Salon has opened at 6 Station Road and a beauty salon called Smooth’d, specialising in hair removal, has opened at 12 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road.

Closures

Bianco43 at 40–42 South End has closed, as has Bombay Brunch at 284–288 High Street.

Other closures are Ponden Home Interiors at 16–20 Church Street, Rileys at 63 Frith Road, Limelight at Unit 3, Centrale, OSIM at Unit 25b, Centrale, Whistlestop at East Croydon Station, Novita (previously Inegol Home) at 79 High Street, Needlez at 171 London Road, Coral at 21a George Street, Ladbrokes at 79 South End, Swinton at 1 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, and Courier Cars at 22 South End.

Coming soon

A new charity shop called Alice’s Attic is opening soon at 49–51 High Street.

Other news

Millets has moved from 50–54 High Street to 3–5 High Street (previously occupied by Blacks), Bright House has moved from 145–147 North End to 138–140 North End, and the George Street Gift Shop (which is actually more of a homewares shop) has moved from number 11 to number 15.

The Wellness Therapy Centre, previously located inside Nuffield Health at 44 Surrey Street, now has its own premises at Unit 2, 3 Overton’s Yard.

Chicken Cottage at 65 Church Street has been replaced by Chicken World. Counter-intuitively, the latter is smaller than the former, as the refurbishment involved splitting the unit into two. Akwaba Cheri’s Mini Market has expanded into the shop next door and now occupies 2–3 The Parade, Mead Place, with lots more space for African groceries.

The Goose on the Market at 1–4 Surrey Street has had a refurb and rename to the Market Tavern, while Eat Well On The Street at 54 Surrey Street has rebranded to Eat Well Fish & Chips, We’reHouse at 34 Surrey Street has rebranded to Thirty Four, and Bózza at 1 Ye Market, Selsdon Road has changed its name to Martin’s.

Playdays Nursery at 22–30 Keeley Road has become Keeley’s Nursery, Hair Star at 35 Church Street is now Precious Hairdressing Salon, Khan Mobile at 35 London Road is now M & H Croydon, and No+Vello at 214 High Street is now FlawlesSkin.

Openings

A juice bar and cafe called Snake & Mongoose has opened at 36 London Road. Juices are made fresh to order, with ingredients including all the usual fruit and vegetables as well as more unusual ones such as callaloo, okra, butternut squash, and even peas.

An art hub, Croydon Arts Store, has opened at 46–47/1046–1048 Whitgift Centre.

Three new shops have opened in the rebuilt part of Royal Parade: Abarna Silks, Abarna Beauty World, and Close Up Photographie at numbers 268, 270, and 272, respectively. Work has also begun on rebuilding more of the parade.

A new butchers has opened at 21–23 Church Street. It was originally called Khan Halal Meat but has now rebranded to The Black Butchers.

Turkish restaurant Atesh is finally open at 235–241 High Street (the old location of Anna’s). Other food-related openings are Five Guys at 7–11 High Street, Blue Sea Fish & Chips Bar at 92 High Street, and yet another branch of Caffe Nero at East Croydon Station (bringing George Street’s total to three).

A clothes shop called LN Creations has opened at 111a High Street, the branch of Wallis at 103 Whitgift Centre has been replaced by a discount clothes shop called Capri Light, a hairdressers called Radiant London has opened at 277 High Street, and a tattoo studio called Just Ink About It has opened at 10 Ye Market, Selsdon Road.

The old premises of Millets at 50–54 High Street have been taken over by a Forces Support charity shop, and another charity shop called Alice’s Attic has opened just across the road at 49–51 High Street. An estate agent called Prime Relocate has opened at 131 South End.

Yet another vape shop, Vapepit, has opened at 78c Frith Road. Does Croydon have enough vape shops now, or are there more to come?

Closures

Piccolino’s Snack Bar at 8 St George’s Walk has closed, as has Caribsoul at 46 George Street.

Muncho has closed its cafe at 22–24 St George’s Walk, though the company still does office food delivery.

The Edge at 1 South End has closed, but is being refurbished to open under new management.

Other closures are Choice at 98–99 Whitgift Centre, Sapphire at 29 Whitgift Centre, Bijou Brigitte at 35 Whitgift Centre, Millimetre at 7–9 Crown Hill, Stan James at 8 Crown Hill, Speedy Cash at 175 North End, and Fast Track at 250 High Street.

Coming soon

A new Nigerian restaurant called Lagos Island is due to open today (Friday 6 October) at 41 St George’s Walk.

Pizza Ora at 63–65 High Street has closed, but according to a licensing application in the window is due to be replaced by The Ludoquist board games cafe.

Niazi Food House is due to open “soon” at 5 Derby Road, though this has been in the works for quite a while now, so it’s not clear what “soon” actually means.

Other news

Various businesses have relaunched under new names: Buffalo American Bar & Grill at 91–101 High Street is now The Big Eat, Back To Health at 1a Drummond Road is now Better Balance Clinic, Rush Advanced Academy at 73 North End is now the London Hairdressing Apprenticeship Academy, and Ambala at 250 London Road has changed its name to Alees, due to the end of its franchising agreement with the Ambala sweet company.

Finally, Cartridge World at 20 Park Street has moved to 194 Brighton Road, CR2 6AF and changed its name to County Cartridges, and ABM Electrical And Lighting has moved from 63 London Road to Unit 1, Coomber Way Industrial Estate, CR0 4TQ.

Openings

Croydon has a new Nigerian restaurant! Lagos Island at 41 St George’s Walk is a family-run business offering delicious home-cooked food such as gizzard with fried plantain in hot pepper sauce, okra stew, and jollof rice.

A grocery shop called Eastern European Food Store has opened at 171 London Road, and another called Monika’s European Food & Grocery has opened at 181a North End. The proprietors of these assure us that, although they know each other, the shops aren’t related.

Other food-related openings include a tapas bar called Casafina at 91–101 High Street and a second branch of Indian wrap shop Zabardast at Unit 25b in Centrale.

A virtual reality cafe called Limitless VR has opened at 79 High Street, and is offering free 10-minute taster sessions throughout December.

A new clothes and accessories shop called Sheba World Fashions/EDM Hair And Accessories has opened at 11 Surrey Street. This shop unit had previously been vacant for several years, so it’s good to see it in use again.

A tattoo studio called Just Ink About It has opened at 10 Ye Market, Selsdon Road.

A homewares and gift shop called Billboard has opened at 145–147 North End, and a candle shop called Yankee Candle has opened at Unit 63, Centrale.

Closures

There have been several rather surprising closures since our last report. Albert’s Table at 49c South End closed very suddenly, without explanation, and signs in the windows now indicate that a bar and grill called Obia is soon to open in its place.

Another closure on South End is Cát Bà Island at 18 South End, which like Albert’s Table will be very much missed. Both restaurants offered high-quality food of styles hard to find elsewhere in the local area.

The Baskerville at 13–15 Selsdon Road has also closed, as have Kaakyire African Market at 61 London Road and RE/MAX Property Centre at 302 High Street.

Other news

Wing Tai Supermarket at 75–77 Church Street is now Daily Fresh Supermarket, and Finest Touch dry cleaners at 290 High Street is now called King.

Friendly House at 9 Selsdon Road has suffered a fire, but does now seem to be open again.

Finally, beauty salon Posh Clinic has moved from Purley to 33 St George’s Walk.

Openings

A European-inspired restaurant called Yumn Brasserie has opened at 69–71 South End. This fills a building that had been vacant for several years, which is always pleasing to see.

A combination cafe and Chinese buffet restaurant called Hot N Sour has opened at 65 Church Street. It serves cooked breakfasts before noon, and Chinese buffet food thereafter.

My PT Studio at 43 St George’s Walk has opened a second exercise studio a few doors down at number 35. Also on St George’s Walk, a new parcel delivery, courier, and cargo service called Mail Smart has opened at number 19.

A new branch of Morrisons M Local has opened at 6a Lansdowne Road, and a dry cleaners called Time Dry Cleaners has opened at 90 High Street (where Tacolisa used to be).

Closures

Heroes & Legends at 25–27 St George's Walk has closed.

Coming soon

Estate agent Foxtons has been granted planning permission to install a shopfront at 2–4 High Street.

Star Pubs & Bars (a division of Heineken UK) has been granted planning permission for new signage at The Folly, 13–15 Selsdon Road. The designs (PDF) look relatively upmarket, though it remains to be seen what the end result will actually be.

Other news

Several places have changed name over the past few weeks. Bombay 7 at 60 South End has rebranded to Navaratna, though the menu remains the same. Marco Aldany at 7–9 Crown Hill has rebranded to Millimetre. Croydon Tech Connect at 6 Station Road is now Imran Repair Centre.

Finally, the Italian restaurant in the Lansdowne Hotel has changed its name yet again, from Buongiorno Burgers to Salve. One wonders what it might be called in six months’ time.

Openings

Two new businesses have opened in the Gary Court retail units (on London Road near the junction with Sumner Road) — Option Mobiles at number 187, selling gift items and mobile phone accessories, and Nana’s Hair & Beauty Salon at number 189a.

Another opening on London Road is Kaakyire African Market at number 61.

A new hairdresser called Croydon Hairdresser has opened at 151a North End. This is yet another piece of the old Arkwrights Wheel/Railway Bell pub that’s been divided off into a separate business.

Closures

The Croydon Emporium at 86–88 Church Street has come to the end of its six-month run, and hence vacated the building.

eCosway in the Whitgift Centre (Unit 142, lower level) has closed.

Other news

Portre at 30 North End has reopened after a period of closure.

Love London Fashion at 135a North End is now Latest, and Leather Factory at 104 North End is now Fashion Gems.

Openings

An Indian cafe called Behtareen has opened at 1 Dingwall Road. It specialises in “street food” and snacks such as chana chaat (pictured).

Closures

Mexway at 42 George Street has closed, as has Quick Stop Express at 9a George Street.

Coming soon

63 South End is under refurbishment to open as a cocktail bar called Playground.

A new club called Club 88 Degrees is due to open on Saturday 28 February in the basement at 84 High Street (previously Cantina)

Signage for a new Caribbean and soul food restaurant called Caribsoul has appeared at 46 George Street (previously Wimpy), though there’s no indication of when it’s due to open.

87–89 High Street also has a new sign for a business called “Everyday’s” — in this case there’s not even an indication of what the new business will be.

Other news

Premier Kebab at 244 High Street has been replaced by Wing’O Chicken, and Elite Mini Cabs at 250 High Street has been replaced by Fast Track Mini Cabs and Internet Cafe.

Finally, Sea Food Supermarket at 62 High Street has moved to 21 Surrey Street and renamed itself to Croydon Quality Fish.

Openings

A new club called Club 88° has opened at 84 High Street (under the flyover).

Just across the road from there, a new casual restaurant (burgers, chicken, ice cream, etc) called Everyday’s has opened at 87–89 High Street.

Cash and Carry Beds at 1 Derby Road has opened a new branch at 175 London Road.

Closures

The Pret A Manger branch at 125 North End has closed. Its branch at 93a George Street remains open for those who believe no sandwich is complete without rocket.

UK Monster Deals at 81 Church Street has also closed.

Coming soon

The Wine Cellar in Sanderstead are soon to open another branch, possibly called Fresh Fields Market, at 86–88 Church Street (previously the Croydon Pop-Up Emporium).

Other news

Angelo’s barber shop at 81 High Street has moved around the corner to 1 Robert Street.

Finally, the Croydon Advertiser reports that the Croydon Visitor Centre at 1–3 Station Approach is due to close for good on 1 May. A petition has been launched to protest against this closure.

Openings

A new pizza restaurant called Pizzeria di Prato has opened at 152 London Road. According to a poster in the window, pizzas from a wood-fired oven are available from 4pm–11pm Monday–Sunday. British cafe food is served at other times.

Caribsoul, the Caribbean restaurant previously reported here as “coming soon” to 46 George Street, has now opened.

A new “shapewear” shop, Secret Curves, has opened at 37 Surrey Street, an internet cafe called Outside In has opened at 6 The Arcade, 32–34 High Street, and a bakery called Bózza has opened at 1 Ye Market, Selsdon Road (previously To A Tea).

A new estate agents called RE/MAX Property Centre has opened at 302 High Street (previously Walker Crips Stockbrokers Ltd).

Closures

The branch of Subway at 136 North End has closed. However, as far as we know, central Croydon’s five other Subway branches remain open (Whitgift Centre, 32–34 High Street, 218 High Street, 80 Frith Road, and Wellesley Road).

Blue Arrow employment agency at 78d Frith Road and Beaumont Beds at 85–87 Church Street have also closed.

Bodrum at 48 High Street is currently closed, though it looks like this might just be temporary.

Coming soon

A branch of the Canadian chain Pita Pit is in the process of opening at 125 North End (previously Pret A Manger). According to signs in the window, it's due to open tomorrow (Monday 20 April)

Other news

Beanies Cafe Middle Street at 3–7 Middle Street is now known as Project B Cafe & Bar. It’s under the same ownership, but the menu has changed to focus on hot and cold sandwiches.

Hot N Sour at 65 Church Street has similarly been renamed to Cafe Bite Out, but in this case nothing has changed except the name.

Nefis Kebabs at 38 South End is now Afandina, and One 2 Call at 91 Church Street is now Tech House.

New signage for an organisation called Get Me To Work has appeared at 82 South End, though we’re not sure it’s open yet or what exactly it will be.

Finally, just a small reminder that the Surrey Streatery at 11–19 Surrey Street is closing on 2 May — only a fortnight left to get your delicious street food lunches!

Openings

A new Vietnamese cafe called Viet2Go has opened at 20 Surrey Street.

Fresh Fields Market has opened at 86–88 Church Street, selling fruit, veg, flowers, groceries, wine, bottled real ale, and fresh real ale from the Cronx Brewery, straight from the cask.

Also on Church Street, an African grocery shop called Alfie De Alfie has opened at number 81. This was previously located at 3 Overton Yard, where it was known variously as Alfi Afro, Alfred’s Food Store, and Cape Coast Market.

A furniture shop called Inegol Home, part of a Turkish chain, has opened at 79 High Street, yet another mobile phone accessories/repair shop (Fix Phones Ltd) has opened at 35 George Street, and yet another beauty supplies shop (Sana)has opened at 62 High Street.

Finally, there's a new art supplies shop called All City London at 2 St George’s Walk.

Closures

The Croydon Visitor Centre and CeX Entertainment Exchange at 1–3 and 4–5 Station Approach have both closed due to the Ruskin Square redevelopment. CeX’s other branch at 43 George Street remains open.

Yates’s at 7–11 High Street has also closed.

Other news

Pavers, previously at 30–32 North End, has moved a couple of doors down to become part of Croydon Village Outlet.

Openings

Artists’ collective Turf Projects has a new home at Units 39-40 in Centrale. The space will host exhibitions and events.

Two new coffee shops have opened! Crushed Bean is at 81 High Street, and as well as coffee has a short but well-chosen tea menu. It serves sandwiches and cakes too. Gelattiamo is at 187 London Road, and has a good selection of ice cream and cakes.

Playground cocktail bar has opened at 63 South End, offering molecular cocktails, coffee, and brunch.

A new photographic studio called Photo Craft has opened at 94 High Street.

Closures

The Tamworth Arms at 62 Tamworth Road has closed amid reports of nefarious dealings.

Caribbean Cafe at 78c Frith Road has closed too, though as far as we know there were no nefarious dealings in this case!

The branch of The Money Shop at 63 North End has also closed, decreasing central Croydon’s payday loan shops by a small fraction.

Coming soon

A new branch of Holland & Barrett is due to open tomorrow (Tuesday 30 June 2015) at 53–55 North End. (According to a member of staff, this is in addition to, rather than a replacement for, their other branch at Units 1098–1099, Whitgift Centre Upper Level.)

Other news

Amaí at Unit 1015, Whitgift Centre Upper Level has moved to Regent Parade, Brighton Road, Sutton, SM2 5BQ.

Finally, the Croydon Advertiser reports that Dice Bar & Club at 36 High Street has been closed by the police. It isn't yet clear whether this will be a temporary or permanent closure.

Openings

Photography/makeover studio Hello Gorgeous has opened a new branch at 85–87 Church Street, and a new hair and beauty salon called Morning Star has opened at 193a London Road. (The latter does not appear to have any connection to the Croydon Communists.)

A scale model/toy shop called Kits4all has opened at 16 St George’s Walk.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors has opened a branch at 18 George Street.

Closures

The Morrisons M Local at 138–140 North End has closed.

Everyday’s at 87–89 High Street has closed. However, its recently-opened second branch at 136 North End remains in business. According to the manager at the latter, the High Street premises will reopen soon as an American grill.

There are also several other food-related closures on the High Street and South End: Blue Mountain Cafe at 111a High Street, Afandina at 38 South End, and Yummy at 123 South End.

Singletons at 94 South End has closed, and Home Living at 34-36 North End is also due to close shortly — its last day of trading is today, Tuesday 4 August.

Coming soon

A Lexon stockist called Hyper Hyper is in the process of opening at 20 St George’s Walk.

Other news

The Wandle Park Cafe is open again, now run by Mum’s The Chef.

Amplifon has moved from 208 High Street to 36 George Street, Benchmark Reprographics has moved from 28–30 Selsdon Road to 5 Swan Close, CR0 2DZ, and Skyline at 22 Selsdon Road has had a rename to Croydon Commercials.

The branch of Miso at 103–105 High Street is closed for refurbishment until the beginning of September.

Finally, Caribbean Cafe at 78c Frith Road, which we previously reported closed, is in fact still open!

Openings

A “vintage boutique” called Retro CR0 has opened at 15 St George’s Walk, specialising in clothes from different countries.

Other openings include Foxtons at 2–4 High Street, Post & Packing at 13 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, and Uday News at 8 Norfolk House, Wellesley Road; the last of these is a reopening under new management after a year of closure.

Closures

Memory Lane Records at 55 Frith Road has closed and been replaced by For Eyes opticians, Croydon Express at 5 Crown Hill has been replaced by Croydon Hair & Beauty, and Miss Selfie at 83 North End has closed and been replaced by another clothes shop called Mbuta Nanga! (exclamation mark theirs).

Mae Ping at 18 South End has also closed, but will be replaced by a Vietnamese restaurant.

Other closures remain vacant at the time of writing: H Purchen at 168 North End, Home Living at 34–36 North End, Top Trendz at 34–36 Church Street, the Age UK charity shop at 46 Church Street, and the Outside In internet cafe at 6 The Arcade, 32–34 High Street.

Coming soon

The ex-Everyday’s at 87–89 High Street is under refurbishment to open as a branch of Rodeos American grill.

Other news

Many reshufflings on St George’s Walk! My PT Studio has moved from number 43 into the larger premises opposite (numbers 40–44) previously occupied by Home Again. Home Again in turn has moved down a bit to numbers 37–39, previously occupied by the Relief Fund For Romania charity shop. Finally, the charity shop has moved into number 33, previously occupied by Sherry Beauty (which seems to have closed down completely).

The Gypsy Tavern at 12a Station Road has been renamed to the Phoenix.

Ideal Beauty at 42 London Road (previously 40–42) has been renamed to Gina. It’s also shrunk to half its size, with number 40 being taken over by Pound Plus Bargain.

Miso Noodle Bar at 103–105 High Street has been renamed to Noodle 23. It is no longer connected to the branch of Miso at 11–12 Suffolk House, George Street.

Openings

We have several interesting food-and-drink-related openings to report! Firstly, a Vietnamese restaurant, Cát Bà Island, has opened at 18 South End, replacing Mae Ping. It caters for vegetarians and vegans as well as meat-eaters, with vegan options including bánh cuốn (Vietnamese pancakes), phở (noodle soup), glass noodles with vegetables, and more. Omnivores may also be interested in their grilled quail, their lotus stem and king prawn salad, or their tomato and whelk noodle soup.

Pizzeria Pellone, an Italian restaurant specialising in Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven, has opened at 256 High Street. Just across the side street from there, a cocktail bar called South Beats has opened at 282 High Street (previously the Half & Half).

The old premises of The Folly at 13–15 Selsdon Road have been brought back into use after several years of vacancy as The Baskerville, a pub with real ale, cocktails, and pub food, not to mention interesting brickwork and flooring.

The old premises of Babylon Buffet[1] at 151 North End are now occupied by a buffet called Lotus World Buffet and a Chettinadu restaurant called Karaikudi. When we visited on Karaikudi’s opening day, we tried out a very tasty masala dosa priced at just £2.99.

It’s not just restaurants and bars, though. Hyper Hyper, an art gallery and modern designer homewares shop, has opened at 20 St George’s Walk. When we popped in, the stock included some very cool-looking coffee cups and a flavour-your-own gin kit.

A gift shop called Menkind has opened at Unit 31–32, Whitgift Centre Lower Level. It advertises itself as offering gifts “for men”, though judging from the selection on its website most of its stock also seems to be of potential use and interest to people who aren’t men.

A clothes shop called Avers has opened at 32 North End, replacing Pavers shoe shop. One can only applaud the ingenious recycling of the previous shop sign.

Other new openings include a “head shop” and “lifestyle accessories” shop called Skunk House at 213 High Street, a branch of Hawkin’s Bazaar at Unit 64 in Centrale, a gift shop called Petals at Unit 3 in Centrale, a currently-nameless bag shop at 46 Church Street, a beauty shop called Shaba Hair & Cosmetics at 34–36 Church Street, a nail bar called Perfect Nails at 78d Frith Road, another nail bar called Get Nailed! at 189b London Road, and a dressmakers called Phegiron House of Fashion at 187a London Road. Finally, a Chinese medicine centre called Herb China has either already opened or is about to open at 31 George Street.

Closures

There are also several food-related closures. Finjan at 74 London Road has closed and will be replaced by a hair/nail salon. Lusitano Stores at 19a St George’s Walk, Wing’O Chicken at 244 High Street, and Cafe Bite Out at 65 Church Street have also closed. The interior of Cafe Bite Out has been stripped out but work is going on inside, so it seems it may reopen as something else. Finally, Alfie de Alfie at 81 Church Street has probably closed, though it might just be undergoing refurbishment.

Other closures are the White Sands nail spa at 60–62 London Road, Shoe World at 5–7 Surrey Street, Portre at 30 North End, Fiction at 40 Church Street, 4 Feet at Unit 29, Whitgift Centre Lower Level, the Croydon Furniture Centre at 74 Church Street, the Lloyds Bank branch at 102 South End, and the Money Shop branch at 246 High Street.

Coming soon

38 South End is under refurbishment to open as a “gourmet burger grill” called Havana. The same people also seem to have 20 South End, which currently has a frontage reading Cafe Havana.

Other news

Clive Mitchell at 28 Church Street is now officially known as Gerrys At Home — a name it’s been using for a good few years, but now at last it has a corresponding sign.

True Tattoo at 49 Frith Road is now known as Wanderlust, Antoine’s Barber Shop at 12 Brighton Road is now S A Grooming, and Broadgreen Londis at 254 London Road is now Limra Convenience Store, incorporating a cake bakery called Cake Walk (or possibly Cake Park).

Finally, Pizzeria Di Prato at 152 London Road has stopped doing pizzas and reverted to its old name of Adams Cafe.

Notes