The highly fashionable restaurant chain, The Alchemist, is opening a brand new all-day restaurant at intu Eldon Square’s new catering development, Grey’s Quarter, in its first foray into Newcastle and the North East. The site will be double fronted, facing both internally towards the mall and externally onto Newcastle’s Nelson Street.The Alchemist is part of the Living Ventures Group, who operate some of the most exciting brands in the UK restaurant sector. The Alchemist launched in 2010 and already has popular concept branches in London, Manchester and Leeds. These all-day havens – open for coffee, brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails – are known for their on-trend design and sense of theatre, as well as both classic and innovative food choices with Mediterranean, North American and British influences.
Simon Potts, Managing Director of The Alchemist, said:
“We are really looking forward to bringing The Alchemist to Newcastle and to being part of the fantastic restaurant space at intu Eldon Square. Our designers are working on eye catching plans for the venue that will reflect the rich history of this fantastic city and we look forward to wowing guests with our molecular mixology and creative food offering later this year.”
intu is investing in a £25 million reconfiguration of 80,000 sq. ft. of retail space to provide a catering development comprising 20 new restaurants. TGI Fridays, Tapas Revolution, Ed’s Diner, Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito, Bella Italia, Handmade Burgers and Giraffe are among the new operators who have already signed leases for the new restaurant quarter. The development follows the refurbishment of the intu Eldon Square mall which won a BCSC Gold Award in December 2015.
intu Eldon Square attracts 35 million customer visits annually. With 140 units, the centre is the prime retail destination in Newcastle and is one of the largest city centre shopping destinations in the UK.
Kate Grant, regional director of intu, said:
“Grey’s Quarter will be a fantastic addition to both intu Eldon Square and Newcastle City Centre. It will open early until late, giving our guests more reasons to visit and stay longer, whether that’s to enjoy a good breakfast, lunch with the family or a fun night out with friends.
“We’re focussed on bringing new brands to our centres and pleased to be The Alchemist’s first choice for their venture into the North East and we’ve no doubt that our visitors will really enjoy the experience they offer.”
The Alchemist has signed a 25 year lease for 6,600 sq. ft. of space. Agents for intu Eldon Square are Shelley Sandzer.