Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi to open in Meadowhall: British Land, joint owner of Sheffield shopping centre Meadowhall, has announced that Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi will join the line-up at the Oasis Dining Quarter. Opening in November, Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s new 2,500 square foot restaurant, located on the upper level alongside brands like Giraffe, TGI Friday’s and Carluccio’s, will cater for 100 covers. Local operator Let’s Sushi will take a 500 square foot unit on the lower level opposite Barburrito and in the heart of the family food hall, which includes 1,200 communal seats. The restaurant will be the brand’s second site in the city and is set to open before Christmas offering fresh sushi and bento boxes alongside soups and other hot dishes. Alice Keown, F&B Asset Manager for British Land, said: “Meadowhall’s £60 million refurbishment has been a key factor in securing new brands. Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi signing is particularly exciting as it will add even more variety and choice to the Oasis Dining Quarter from the food hall on the lower level, to the 16 family focussed restaurants on the upper level. Around 64% of our shoppers choose to have something to eat or drink when they visit, so we are constantly looking for new brands to refresh our offer and create an even more modern and vibrant dining experience.” Keith Bird, chief operating officer for GBK, said: “We have been looking to secure a site in Meadowhall for some time and with so much momentum behind the refurbishment project, now seemed like the perfect moment to take space there. Located in a prime unit at the biggest retail destination in Yorkshire, the new restaurant will help to bring Gourmet Burger Kitchen to a much bigger local audience and is a very exciting next step for us.” Smith Young and Davis Coffer Lyons represented British Land. John Brady represented GBK and Let’s Sushi represented itself.

Easyhotel secures Cardiff freehold site: Easyhotel, the owner, developer and operator of “super budget” branded hotels, has acquired a central site in Cardiff to develop a new 120-bedroom freehold Easyhotel, subject to planning permission. Located at Fitzalan Place, 0.3 miles from Cardiff Queen Street Station, the site is located between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, which has been redeveloped into one of the city’s main leisure areas, with many bars, restaurants, cinemas and visitor attractions, including the Dr Who experience at the BBC Roath studios. An office block will be demolished to make way for the new, purpose built hotel, which is expected to open in 2019. The total forecast cost of acquisition and construction will be approximately £8 million. Easyhotel currently has five owned hotels, 20 franchised hotels and a strong pipeline of new openings and developments, with Easyhotel Liverpool expected to open in November 2017 and hotels in Ipswich, Barcelona, Leeds and Sheffield due to open in 2018. The Cardiff site takes Easyhotel’s pipeline of owned/leased projects to 895 rooms in addition to the 1,636 franchise rooms under development. Guy Parsons, chief executive of Easyhotel, said: “We are delighted to be investing in Cardiff, a well-connected modern city that attracts 20 million visitors each year. This acquisition is part of our ongoing strategy of offering comfortable, affordable accommodation in key tourist and business locations in the UK and internationally. We expect Easyhotel Cardiff to attract a variety of leisure and business customers and look forward to being part of the city’s ongoing growth and success.”

Lunya opens 5,500 square foot site at Liverpool ONE: Grosvenor Europe has announced that Lunya, the family-owned Catalunyan restaurant bar and deli, has opened a new 5,500 square foot restaurant in Liverpool ONE, located on the corner of College Lane and Hanover Street. Following a £200,000 investment by founders Elaine and Peter Kinsella, the new site has enabled the multi-award winning independent business to expand its shop front and combine the dining area, bar and deli into one open plan space. In the first three days of opening, Lunya reported that trade grew by 40% year-on-year. The new, larger deli stocks a wider range of the high quality artisan produce from Spain that Lunya has become known for. They have also been able to provide the UK’s largest range of Spanish beers with a bigger bar. The increased space and additional facilities will also enable Lunya to grow the number and size of its regular events, which range from wine and food tasting evenings to gin experiences. Peter Kinsella added: “We’re absolutely delighted with our new site at Liverpool ONE, it looks stunning and we have received fabulous feedback from our many regulars who have been in to visit us already. With the increased prominence and visibility of the site, we have immediately seen an enormous increase in walk-in trade. We are delighted to have a fully accessible, totally ground floor operation, ensuring that Lunya is open to everyone.” Lunya is a significant addition to Liverpool ONE’s Hanover Street, which has become established as one of the most exciting dining destinations in the north west and is currently experiencing an uplift in restaurant sales. Consumers are increasingly visiting Liverpool ONE for a day-out experience that combines shopping with leisure and socialising. Metis Real Estate and Cushman and Wakefield acted for Liverpool ONE. Lunya dealt direct.