Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes.
NewRiver has continued to grow the food and beverage options at a former INTU asset, Midsummer Place in Milton Keynes, with lettings to Popeyes® UK and Smoke & Pepper.
Popeyes® UK, the home of Louisiana fried chicken, is opening its first Milton Keynes restaurant located on the recently revamped Boulevard within Midsummer Place, leasing a 3,128 sq ft unit.
Smoke & Pepper has opened its seventh restaurant in the UK at Midsummer Place out of the 40+ stores it has signed up for in the last six months. The new spot takes over a 1,968 sq ft unit, offering 46 covers along with delivery and takeaway. Their menu offers a selection of Burgers, Flame Grilled Chicken, Smoked Meats and much more.
Simon Anderson, director at NewRiver and asset manager of Midsummer Place commented: “Popeyes and Smoke & Pepper are fantastic additions to Milton Keynes and perfectly complement the F&B offer we have grown at Midsummer Place, sitting alongside several local and independent brands within the Boulevard area as well as Wingstop, which opened last year, Five Guys and Pret.
“Our asset management strategy is to diversify the overall offer of the centre in line with modern consumer habits. A mix of dine-in and ‘Grab & Go’ brands are increasingly popular with consumers who want to maximise their time at the centre. They also work perfectly alongside our expanding leisure mix and new night-time economy, championed by the recently introduced Lane 7.”
The new restaurants complement the eight F&B pods in the revitalised Boulevard area, which are all let to local operators, bringing a unique offer of artisan and international cuisine to Milton Keynes.
Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes® UK, added: “It’s fantastic to be officially opening our doors in Milton Keynes and bringing the bold flavours of New Orleans to a brand new region and audience. We’re excited to welcome the people of Milton Keynes to the new restaurant and keep the momentum going with even more UK openings lined up for the rest of the year.”
Alongside the usual bowling and games bar offer, Lane 7 introduced rolling skating at Milton Keynes, not seen elsewhere in its portfolio. The store is Lane 7’s largest has been one of the most successful outlets for the brand since opening and has contributed to increasing dwell times and footfall at the centre.
