The Londoner, an upscale English restaurant and pub, hopes to build a strong sense of TCU community at The VUE Apartments, Robyn Hoover, community manager at The VUE, said.

The restaurant and pub is set to open this summer on the bottom level of the developing The VUE Apartments.

The 6,080 square-foot establishment will have amenities such as dartboards, pool tables and HD televisions for game time, according to Transwestern, the real estate company that leased the space to The Londoner.

Trevor Tollett, vice president of Fountain Residential, said, “Something like The Aardvark is more appealing to mainly the TCU community, but The Londoner will target and appeal to the community at large.”

Hoover said the restaurant would bring a different taste of food and entertainment to the university community.

“Not only will it positively impact our residents’ social lives by being able to just run downstairs to grab a bite or a drink with friends, but it will also bring together the TCU community for sporting events and social gatherings,” Hoover said.

The Londoner has already taken steps to connect with TCU Athletics in hopes of making it a place where students can get together to watch sporting events, especially soccer, an English favorite, Hoover said. 

The restaurant features traditional British dishes, such as “bangers and mash,” as well as local, regional and all-American favorites such as spaghetti and pork chops, according to The Londoner’s website.

For the 21-and-over crowd, The Londoner will feature dozens of imported and domestic beers, a full bar and seasonal cocktails, according to The Londoner website.

The location of The Londoner will add to the overall atmosphere of The VUE and provide a quick and convenient dining and entertainment experience for its residents, Hoover said.

“We hope to host resident events at The Londoner in the future where neighbors can meet each other, socialize and have a meal together,” he said. “It’s a great venue to assist us in hosting resident life events to continue to build that strong TCU sense of community.”

Hoover said there would be separate, designated parking for the restaurant and for residents of The VUE to avoid any further parking frustrations in the university area.

For future residents of The VUE, there will be no need to worry about the noise. The Londoner will have its own entrance from University Drive, which will help reduce noise coming from the bar, Hoover said.

“We expect The Londoner to be a restaurant destination first and a pub and happy hour destination second,” Hoover said.

The owner of The Londoner, Barry Tate, got his start opening a French creperie and wine bar in London, according to Transwestern.net. After four years, he sold the business and decided to move to Dallas to pitch a similar concept — one that would ultimately transform into what The Londoner is today.

The Londoner, originally called the London Tavern, located on Greenville Avenue in Dallas, has been thriving since 1990 and has led to the opening of new The Londoner locations in Addison, McKinney, Frisco and, now, Fort Worth.

The possibility of allowing students to use Frog Bucks has come up as an option, but nothing has been confirmed, Hoover said.