Cash-strapped Pitt Club finds new ground floor tenant

An artist’s impression of the Pitt Club after a Japanese-inspired renovationMartyna Sabadasz with permission for Varsity

The University Pitt Club, for two centuries home to Cambridge’s public school elite, will be hosting a very different clientele from this August: “Japanese-inspired” restaurant and bar chain, KIBOU.

The chic establishment, whose current locations include London, Bristol and Solihull, announced their Cambridge opening on social media last week, accompanied by an artist’s impression of the club’s Grade II-listed premises at 7a Jesus Lane.

In the impression, a plaque of William Pitt the Younger can be seen overlooking an array of Japanese stereotypes, including cherry blossom trees, cranes, paper lanterns, and manga cartoon characters.

Inside, KIBOU will redecorate the building in a “glamourous” Japanese style, featuring “trademark murals and digital animations, alongside stunning Japanese floral and foliage installations”.

Members worried that the arrival of the Japanese chain might ruin the club’s high-brow image were no doubt assuaged by the restaurant’s promise of “A5 grade seared wagyu” and “truffle-topped nigiri”.

The menu also boasts 20-piece selections of signature sushi and sashimi, sure to be a favourite among Pitt Club frequenters with eye-watering prices of up to £50.

The arrival of a new tenant comes after Pitt Club trustees were forced to urgently raise £50,000 from alumni during the pandemic when former tenants Pizza Express moved out. The high-street pizza chain had occupied the ground floor since 1997, when the club first ran into financial difficulties.

Boasting influential old members such as John Cleese, Kwasi Kwarteng, and King Charles III, the Pitt Club website has implored alumni to donate to their “200th Anniversary Campaign Emergency Cash Appeal” for at least two years.

The 200th anniversary of the club will not be celebrated until Michaelmas 2035.

A spokesperson for KIBOU told Varsity: “We’re so excited to bring our brand to Cambridge and to open what will be our largest site in such an iconic and impressive building.”

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