intu Potteries extension fully pre-let; seventh restaurant signs

The impressive range of family-friendly dining choices at the restaurant & leisure extension of intu Potteries will be completed with authentic cuisine from across the Far East served at a new Bon Pan Asian Restaurant.

The 13,750 sq ft unit, signed on a 25 year lease, is at first floor level above five new restaurants that will open out onto a spacious boulevard area. With all seven dining spaces, plus the cinema, now signed up, the development is fully pre-let some six months ahead of the opening date. Construction by Wates is nearing completion ready for fitting out by the tenants. The £20m extension is part of the £1.3bn development pipeline over the next 10 years by intu, the leading owner and manager of prime regional shopping centres in the UK.

Bon Pan Asian Restaurant will offer an exciting dining experience in decor that reflects simple but classic Japanese styling. The founder Aiden Kang said: “The restaurant & leisure extension at intu Potteries is such a thrilling development and the perfect place for the first Bon Pan Asian Restaurant. With strong footfall and the right catchment profile for us, we look forward to opening and welcoming customers.”

Martin Breeden, regional director of intu, said: “The restaurant & leisure extension at intu Potteries will please all members of the family. With a sizeable student population in the Stoke-on-Trent area, and almost a quarter of our customers in the 16 – 24 age range, we expect the area to do tremendously well and Bon Pan Asian Restaurant is a great addition to the line-up.”

When completed, the 60,000 sq ft extension to the intu Potteries shopping centre will features Coast to Coast, Nando’s, PizzaExpress, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Chiquito and Frankie & Benny’s plus a 1,100 seat, nine screen Cineworld. The 566,000 sq ft shopping centre, which includes Debenhams, Primark, Next, River Island and New Look, has a 12 million annual footfall from a 600,000 catchment population. The six towns of Stoke-on-Trent plus the adjoining Newcastle-under-Lyme combined have the 12th highest population of any UK city.

Martin Breeden continued: “intu Potteries is the prime retail site in Stoke-on-Trent, and the focal point of shopping drawing customers from a wide catchment area. With plenty of compelling experiences for the daytime, the restaurant area will add a busy evening offer, extending dwell times to the benefit of all retailers and restaurants, helping their businesses to flourish.”

intu’s agent was Lunson Mitchenall; and Bon Pan Asian Restaurant was represented by Colliers International.