Green “coming soon” signs appeared this week on the former Wasabi site on Putney High Street, revealing that Blank Street Coffee will be the latest addition to the area’s remarkably dense coffee landscape.
The New York-born chain has built a cult following in just five years, riding a wave of viral matcha drinks to a £500 million valuation and 90 locations across the UK and US. This will be Blank Street’s first Putney location, though they already operate nearby in Clapham Junction and Battersea Power Station.
What sets Blank Street apart from the traditional coffee chains is its social media-driven success. Flavoured matcha drinks – including viral hits like Blueberry Matcha and Banana Bread Matcha – now account for roughly half of their daily sales. The brand has partnered with influencers including Kendall Jenner and Emma Chamberlain, building a distinctly Gen Z following that traditional chains struggle to capture.
The company’s UK boss, Ignacio Llado, recently told media that the coffee industry is “waking up” to increased competition, with Blank Street thriving on innovation. “We innovate better when we feel that we now need to raise the bar a notch higher,” he said.
This comes as established players face challenges. Starbucks announced plans to close some UK stores and slash its menu by 30% by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Blank Street just reported its first UK profit – £1.3 million in 2024, compared to a £4.2 million loss the previous year.
Another coffee shop on a crowded high street
The arrival fills a gap left when Wasabi closed in May, but it also adds to Putney High Street’s remarkable concentration of coffee outlets. The street now hosts Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Starbucks, Black Sheep Coffee, Coffee Miyagi, and Sendero, along with Pret A Manger, Gail’s, Greggs, Blabar, Paul, and Arts Cafe all within a few minutes’ walk.
What Blank Street brings differently is its “accessible luxury” model – specialty coffee typically priced under £3.90, a tech-forward approach with app-based subscriptions, and drinks designed to be photographed and shared online. The company doesn’t franchise, maintaining tight control over every location to ensure consistency.
Llado says the brand is seeing “more demand than ever before” from both consumers and landlords, driven by people prioritising small treats amid cost-of-living pressures. “People are more ready than ever to spend on a product or an experience that involves stepping out of their home,” he noted.
Mixed signals on the high street
Blank Street’s arrival is part of a mixed picture for Putney High Street. Alongside persistent empty units, there are signs of life: children’s shop Tiny Feet opened recently, four new retail units are under construction at the corner of Putney Bridge Road, and M&S is preparing to open for Easter.
The former Wasabi closure was part of a broader wave of departures from the high street in 2025, but new arrivals suggest landlords are still finding tenants willing to bet on Putney’s foot traffic.
Whether the high street can support yet another coffee shop remains to be seen. But if Blank Street’s viral matcha drinks can draw the Instagram crowd, they may have found their niche in an already saturated market.
No opening date has been announced yet, but the appearance of branded signage suggests an opening could be imminent in the coming weeks.
