White Rose shopping centre food court in Leeds in £7m expansion
Land Securities, owner of the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds, is to invest £7m to triple the size of the food court at the White Rose.
The £7m redevelopment sees the arrival of Frankie & Benny's, Prezzo, Wok ‘n' Go, and the Handmade Burger Co. They will join Nando's, McDonalds, Costa Coffee and a brand new concept Bagel Nash in the centre's upper level food court.
The food court is set to increase to in excess of 21,000 sq ft, which adds an extra 14,000 sq ft onto its current size, serving the shopping centre's annual 12.5 million shoppers.
Shoppers have spent £10m on food and beverages in the past 12 months and Land Securities is expecting to see further growth following the expansion.
The South Leeds scheme is currently made up of 9% food and beverage operators, which is set to increase to 14% once work is complete on the expansion.
The work has already started and will be complete spring 2014.
Liz Baniak, from the Restaurant Group said: "As a city, Leeds is one of the UK's largest markets and in the region we currently have six restaurants open. When we were choosing our next location, White Rose seemed like the perfect fit. It is a successful shopping scheme where we felt a new Frankie & Benny's would complement and enhance the retail offer providing a quality restaurant experience for its customers.
"Our confidence paid off, we've had a strong start since opening in May, which has been maintained throughout the summer months. We are very pleased with the performance of the restaurant and fully expect that its success will continue."
Harlan Pollitt, portfolio manager for Land Securities, said: "I'm convinced the £5m expansion will have a knock-on effect on the number of retailers launching new concept stores and store re-fits, if we significantly enhance the asset then it will drive the retailers to follow suit.
"In the past 12 months alone we have secured deals on 60,850 sq ft of catering and retail space including Boux Avenue, Bank, Superdry, Costa Coffee and Paperchase. The food court redevelopment will add momentum to the high calibre of retailers that are launching with in the scheme and it will cement White Rose's position as a fashion and leisure destination."
