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Butter-loving, TikTok-famous British chef Thomas Straker is officially crossing the pond.
The viral sensation behind Notting Hill hotspot Straker’s has signed a lease in Soho, taking over the long-vacant space that once housed Keith McNally’s beloved Lucky Strike (RIP, 59 Grand Street). That is all to say: if you’ve ever drooled over one of Straker's chicken liver parfaits or flatbreads via Instagram, you may soon be able to taste the hype IRL.
Straker first confirmed the news via Instagram story, calling the spot his “new home in NYC” and revealing plans to bring his signature energy—bumping playlists and that no-skimp-on-the-fat cooking style—to Lower Manhattan.
“We’re cooking over charcoal, we’ve got a big pizza oven and we’ll do our signature flatbreads,” Straker said to Time Out.
While the exact name of the restaurant hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s clear the ethos will mirror that of the culinary guru's London flagship: seasonal ingredients, flavor-forward plates and a dash of rockstar swagger.
“We’ll have to do an incredible amount of sourcing out in the States, finding the best ingredients we can possibly buy,” Straker said, noting his farm-raised roots in the U.K.
Although exciting, the news isn't exactly surprising: the chef, whose pandemic-era butter videos launched him into Internet stardom (including over two million followers on both TikTok and Instagram), held a sold-out East Village pop-up in October, teasing a full-blown Stateside expansion.
“New Yorkers are super discerning,” he said. “They eat out constantly. So the pressure’s on, but the pressure’s on anywhere.”
Straker’s takeover of the former Lucky Strike comes with a healthy dose of nostalgia.
“I’ve heard so many stories about people spending hours at Lucky Strike,” he said. “We aim to do it justice and do ourselves justice by creating a space that really works.”
The Soho address has sat dormant since Lucky Strike closed in 2020. But, if Straker has it his way, it won’t be quiet much longer.