Gusto to open £1m Leeds restaurant
Italian restaurant brand Gusto is to open its first Leeds city centre restaurant, investing more than £1m in the new site.
The 6,700 sq ft venue, which is due to open this summer, will be the third restaurant to feature Gusto's new ‘grand cafe' design and menu, following recent openings in Manchester and Glasgow.
The new Gusto will occupy what used to be Henry's Bar in Pennine House on Greek Street, and is expected to create 60 new jobs.
It will be the second Gusto restaurant for Leeds, following the launch of its Cookridge venue, which opened in 2008.
In addition to a classic and contemporary menu using fresh ingredients, the restaurant will also serve more than 100 cocktails.
Managing director of Gusto, Sue Crimes, said: "This is a very exciting time for Gusto and we are delighted to be opening a second restaurant in Leeds. Gusto is evolving as a brand and whilst we have changed the style of the décor a little and changed the logo, the new Gusto has everything that our customers have come to expect from us and a little but more - great food, excellent service and a great night out.
"Leeds city centre's restaurant scene is in a period of enormous growth and we felt the time was right to introduce Gusto to the city. The casual dining sector is well catered for in Leeds, so we feel there is definitely room for a high-quality, sophisticated venue, particularly on Greek Street where we expect to see a lot of interest from the business community."
The refurbished venue will have touches of Art Deco styling throughout and a striking square central bar.
Gusto is part of the Manchester-based restaurant and bar group Living Ventures. In 2014 Living Ventures sold a majority stake in the restaurant chain to Palatine Private Equity. It plans to add 15 new sites to its portfolio over the next four years, including a move into the London area for the first time.
Gusto Leeds will open in July 2015.
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