CENTRAL VILLAGE SCOOPS ANOTHER FIRST FOR LIVERPOOL

Liverpool’s £160 million Central Village development has attracted another brand to open in the city for the first time as part of a rapidly expanding list of newcomers.

Zouk Tea Bar and Grill, which has already established award-winning Indian restaurants in Bradford and Manchester, will join the likes of Handmade Burger Co and Chiquito at the city centre’s largest regeneration scheme and leisure development.

Zouk has taken 7,640 sq ft in Central Village’s impressive 75,000 sq ft Boardwalk building.

The Indian restaurant brand will also join other city newcomers Millennium Hotel, a new-build Copthorne Hotel and Pan-Asian restaurant Cosmo in the development, which is anticipated to be a popular central hub of leisure and entertainment.

Neal Hunter, associate director at Merepark, the developer responsible for Central Village said: “We’re excited to welcome another great brand to the growing ranks of restaurants who have been attracted to choose Central Village to enter the Liverpool market for the first time.

“This marks the tenth pre-let to be signed at Central Village – further proof that Liverpool is an attractive market and that Central Village is set to deliver a new, vibrant leisure destination in the heart of the city.”

At the end of 2010 Odeon confirmed the Boardwalk as home to its second cinema in the city, alongside Frankie & Benny’s which has also let space within the three-storey building.

Work is set to start on the Boardwalk, new public plaza and spectacular water feature off Newington Square later this year.

Developer Merepark is currently on site delivering the second and third phases of the development which includes the 459-space Q-park multi-storey car park and new public space, Heathfield, as well as the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Lewis’s Building, which is set to become a mixture of office, retail and leisure space.;

Amjad Bashir, the founder of Zouk, said: “The Zouk concept is based on offering a great Indian dining experience in stylish surroundings, and Central Village achieves the latter perfectly.  Close to Ropewalks and linked to Central Station, Central Village will put us a in a thriving high footfall area from day one.”

Central Village is expected to contribute £100 million to the city’s economy when it is complete and will create approximately 3,000 jobs.

The first phase of the Central Village development was completed in 2009 comprising three properties on Bold Street (9-19, 21-25 and 39-41).

Savills and CBRE are advising on the leisure offering for Merepark.