City Centre picked for retirement home
A scheme to redevelop Bath's former Empire Hotel into a retirement home with a restaurant complex will involve City Centre Restaurants rather than Whitbread.
The original plan, unveiled two months ago, had envisaged a Brewers Fayre restaurant and Severn Inn on the property's ground floor. Last week, however, it was announced that a Garfunkel's and Caffé Uno would open on the site.
The contract between City Centre and Pegasus Retirement Homes, which is redeveloping the eight-storey Edwardian building, will be sealed next week with a 125-year lease agreement.
Michael McCarthy, group managing director of Pegasus Retirement Homes, told Caterer: "We talked to Whitbread but it wanted a pub first and restaurant second, which wasn't what we had in mind.
"We wanted a family-driven restaurant first to appeal to locals and tourists, and City Centre Restaurants' plans were most appropriate," said Mr McCarthy.
City Centre, which is occupying 10,000sq ft, expects to open the two restaurants in the second half of next year. They will be its first Garfunkel's and Caffé Uno sites in the West Country.
- Ask Pizzeria, the London chain set up last year by the sons of former City Centre Restaurants chief executive Phillip Kaye, is set to open four further outlets over the next few months, bringing the total to eight.
The pizza and pasta chain was set up by Adam and Samuel Kaye last year. The fifth outlet is to open next month off London's Tottenham Court Road, while a further three will open in the first half of next year.
