Staunton’s and its exterior steps continued as a mainstay for SoHo denizens for gathering, hanging out and mingling until Bryant, a former HSBC executive, was no longer able to keep the business afloat amid the pandemic. For a brief while, the space became a French seafood and steak restaurant called Canele.

In March of 2023, Kapoor heard that the proprietors had decided to give up the struggling enterprise after less than a year. The idea of running back the Staunton’s bar and restaurant concept came into his head.

“When the property agent told me the space was available, the first person I messaged was my ex-boss [Nick],” he recalls. “I said, ‘Look, I want to carry on with your legacy with Staunton’s. I gave it nine years of my life and I believe in it.’

“Nick was actually very happy and excited. He really appreciated that I approached him. He knew the name wasn’t trademarked but that I asked out of respect. I have always had that kind of relationship with him. He said, ‘I can’t think of any other person to take over.’ So yeah, I got his blessings.”

“I’ve built and lost other businesses but my wife says this is the first time [I’ve] been killed by a disease,” Bryant jokes. “I was happily surprised [to hear of Staunton’s revival] because if it was going to be somebody, I want it to be Vinay.”

Bryant says that Kapoor is a “tried and trusted” friend.

“I was very proud of what we did here. Vinay knows what works and what doesn’t. He likes what we had and he’s trying to protect what we had. We kept Staunton’s going for a very long time, so it has something of an iconic stature,” he says.

“My only advice for him is just make sure your product is good, and there’s consistency in delivering it,” he continues, pointing out that many restaurants in Hong Kong struggle to maintain quality, which means they don’t retain a loyal customer base. “It’s easier to maintain a happy customer then acquire a new one.”

What the new Staunton’s will not be is a rehash of the previous establishment. Sentimental nostalgia aside, Kapoor is aiming to create an updated venue.

“When I came for a job interview, back in 2004, the operations manager said that Staunton’s is like an extension of people’s living room, so they come here for breakfast, lunch and happy hour,” Kapoor says. “And that’s what it was: a neighbourhood cafe and bar.”

The Staunton’s of today will be more like an all-day gastropub, he adds.

“People could be coming in at 8am for a coffee and bacon butty [a bacon sandwich]. Then, lunchtime, have traditional British dishes, with maybe a modern twist, to make it healthier. At happy hour, we’ll have some good English ales like Guinness and Spitfire. The idea is just to keep it simple, back to basics. No drama.”

“The good thing about the London food scene is there is so much variety,” Kapoor says. “I mean, you could have doner kebabs from Turkey, good Indian, so we’re going to have different elements.

“One of the signature dishes our chef created is tandoori hummus. It’s amazing. So, there will be elements of street food in London.”

After leaving Staunton’s originally, Kapoor went on to launch several hospitality projects of his own, including Flaming Frango’s on Elgin Street. These days, SoHo is not quite the hotbed for dining and nightlife it used to be, he says.

“Things have started to pick up now, people are starting to travel, and the landlord gave a little bit of a reduction on the rent, so we just looked at the entire scenario and thought, yeah, let’s give it a go.”

With Staunton’s, the advantage is in its location and history, he says.

“[It’s been] here over 25 years and it’s right next to the escalator with, like, a million people passing by, so we’re hard to miss. Also, whatever happened over the last few years, I think it has come to an end and people are more optimistic. A lot of people are slowly coming back. A lot of old regulars were very excited when we shared the news that Staunton’s is returning.

“I do see some light at the end of the tunnel.”