‘Coming soon’: Tokia Square was meant to open last Sunday, March 2, but there has been a ‘slight delay’ according to the business behind the project
Tokia Square, which promised “a dynamic food court offering an extraordinary selection of Asian cuisines”, has missed its grand opening date, with no explanation from the business behind the project for the delay.
“Tokia Square is designed to bring a unique culinary experience to Croydon, combining authentic flavours with a modern, vibrant atmosphere,” the owners promised last month, when announcing that their large-scale food hall was set to open in the Grants leisure complex on Croydon High Street on Sunday, March 2.
Some suggest that the project had already been subject to some delays, having missed its opening date intended to coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations which began at the end of January.
The delayed opening is just the latest set-back for Croydon’s already struggling High Street offer, which has been hit by the triple whammy of Brexit, covid and Westfield development blight.
The “Coming soon” signs remain in place at Grants, close to usually busy Nando’s and Turtle Bay, and where the Milan Bar operated until the Wetherspoons pub chain pulled the plug on the once popular town centre more than three years ago. That site has been standing empty since.
Ready for business?: the owners last month provided this image of Tokia Square Croydon, apparently ready to open. But their grand opening date has been and gone
Loyal readers, curious to see for themselves what Tokia Square called “a celebration of culinary diversity”, have been left baffled and disappointed, with the new venue’s doors still firmly shut. Perhaps more troublingly, there has been no sign of any activity inside.
Inside Croydon has made repeated attempts to contact the company behind Tokia Square to seek an update.
JRC Group says it has offices in Wimbledon and in Guang Dong, China. They say that they “have investments in restaurants, leisure, property and travel”.
The latest news item on the JRC Group’s website says, “We pleased to announce the launch of our new website!” It is dated October 2012.
A company with a similar name and business, JRC Global Buffet Ltd, registered at the same address, “King’s House, 1a Kings Road, Wimbeldon [sic], London, SW19 8PL”, went out of business in January 2020.
Tokia Square Service Ltd was registered at Companies House last August, using the same office address. It has a single director registered, Zhiling Huang. Tokia Square Service Ltd has yet to file its first year’s accounts.
Today, Inside Croydon received a brief note from someone working from the Wimbledon address which said only, “Our project has a slight delay.”
No alternative opening date for Tokia Square Croydon was suggested.
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Zhiling “Jerry” Huang has more companies than Tokia Square Service Ltd (Registered office address 1a Kings Road, Wimbledon, England, SW19 8PL) has served hot dinners.
The latest one is Sawasdee Flame Co. Ltd, which was incorporated on 24 February,
and has a registered office address of Unit 9 14 High Street, Croydon, United Kingdom, CR0 1QB.
That’s Tokia Square’s intended premises, and also home to Hearth & Ramen Co. Limited, incorporated 17 February, by Mr Huang. He must have been busy that day, because it was when he also founded Flaming Seoul Co. Limited, again based in Unit 9.
Then there’s Tea Legends in three different guises, Oxford, Cambridge and Wimbledon, each founded last October, plus Tea Legends Management incorporated the previous month. All have the 1a Kings Road address.
Tokia Square was formed on 27 August 2024, and before that we have Firewood Investment (UK) Ltd, where Mr Huang is not a one-man band but part of a team of three in a company created in 2016; he joined it in 2023.
He also joined Pan Asia Box Ltd, in 2021. Address? 1a Kings Road.
In August 2020, he created United Restaurant SW19 Ltd, which is still going and appears to be solvent but its confirmation statement is overdue. Another 1a Kings Road company.
The JRC Group website mentioned in the iC report refers to JRC Management (UK) Ltd at the bottom of one page, along with “copyright 2024”. That company was formed in 2011 and dissolved in 2019. Registered office address? 1a Kings Road, SW19.
Another page on that same website has similar wording but this time URC Management (UK) Ltd. A typo? No, another company based at 1a Kings Road, this one formed in 2021, and still going.
I’m all for entrepreneurial endeavour, but I’m not sure this is it. The proof of the pudding, as always, is in the eating
We went through all those Companies House records, too, Arfur… But the whole litany is a bit dull for our readers, to be frank.
Wonder if the landlords at Grants have received their rents on time so far, though?
What I thought would be a short list grew like a mutant souffle. But at least it’s on the interweb now, in one place
When this website’s Editor started in journalism, a “Companies House search” involved a trip to their offices on City Road, a payment of cash money (around a groat, if I remember correctly), and a laborious troll through hundreds of yards of barely readable microfiche. If you wanted copies of any of the docs or accounts, a copier was also available, but for another fee.
Now, in a trice on the global interweb, we can immediately find out so much about Mr Huang’s businesses, and certainly much more information than has ever been made available by the development company that Croydon Council has just granted planning permission to for 220 retirement flats in Purley, and the payment of a “subsidy” of at least £800,000.
Do you think Mr Huang owns a Spitfire, too?
Huang fire on the spitfire assumption!
Does China own Croydon now ? just asking ….didnt they buy the Nestle Building and just look at the state of that now…….
No, Hazel. China does not “own Croydon now”.
I see the Sinophobes have woken up
They never sleep
Presumably they have an alcohol and other licences which will have useful information such as who the premises licence holder is, and the original application which should have the details of the applicant and their lawyers if they used them. Most councils have their licensing register online. Of course Croydon don’t (well I can’t find it) so you have to contact them directly. Which probably requires huge reserves of willpower.
Are there any underhand businesses in Croydon that are not owned by “overseas investors” (a.k.a. money-laundering crooks)?
Maybe they have some kind of connection to the JRC Global Buffet in Purley Way? Either way I’ll have to wait to try it out, all this chatter inspired me to get a Chinese tonight…
Forget new fantastic shop or famous brand coming to Croydon. Central Croydon now is nothing more than a human and environmental cesspit
We discourage anonymous comments, Joe
Perhaps Zhiling Huang is co-ordinating his opening with either the completion of the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre or the introduction of the pods in the old Allders building. Looks like this “Jerry” building may not be opening for sometime then.
Maybe they are just pretending to open so Perry can say he’s redeveloping Croydon and ‘Croydon to open for business’, some “Jerry”-Mandarin if you will.