A major DIY retailer is moving into the vacant restaurant space that once housed Hare and Tortoise on Upper Richmond Road.
Screwfix Putney will occupy the site at 296-298 Upper Richmond Road, according to signage now visible in the windows. No opening date has been announced yet.
The move brings welcome relief to a section of the high street where the former Papa John’s remains boarded up, Bubble East cafe has been closed for over a year, and a former plant shop over the road sits empty.
The pan-Asian restaurant Hare and Tortoise moved out in August, with plans to relocate to a smaller takeaway-only space nearby. The restaurant had maintained an unwelcoming interior after pandemic restrictions pushed it towards delivery service, despite serving quality food that matched other Hare and Tortoise locations across London.
Good news for DIYers and local fitters
The new Screwfix will be the closest branch for Putney residents. Currently, the nearest stores are in Fulham on Fulham Road, East Sheen on Upper Richmond Road West, and Earlsfield on Merton Road.
The opening will create competition with Toolstation, which sits about ten minutes’ walk away at 113 Upper Richmond Road. The two chains are rivals in the trade supplies market, typically locating near each other across the country.
While both stores serve DIYers and tradespeople with similar product ranges, there are some differences. Screwfix, owned by Kingfisher (which also owns B&Q), offers a wider product range and consistently receives higher ratings for customer service. Toolstation, part of the Travis Perkins group, is often slightly cheaper on individual items and will sell some products singly rather than in bulk packs.
Both chains offer click and collect services, extensive catalogues, and cater to the professional trades market alongside DIY customers. Screwfix has over 800 stores nationwide, whilst Toolstation operates more than 500 branches.
The DIY chain’s arrival will be particularly welcome for local tradespeople and residents undertaking home improvements, who will no longer need to travel to Fulham, East Sheen or Earlsfield for supplies.
Update: Readers have flagged a practical concern about the location. Unlike restaurant customers who often visit in the evening when parking is easier or arrive on foot, Screwfix customers typically need vehicles to collect bulky trade supplies during the day.
The site sits on a red route with loading restrictions, which could prove problematic for professional tradespeople. Screwfix operates primarily on a click and collect model, which may help with quick pickups, but access and parking remain legitimate questions for a DIY store on Upper Richmond Road.
The same is true for Toolstation further up the road but a large driveway leading to flats above it, and a car park down the side provide customers with easy, if not entirely legitimate, parking.
Hare and Tortoise was thr best restaurant in Putney and its gone. What a disaster.