First Lettings for The Brunel Food Hub Announced

The Brunel Shopping Centre and FI Real Estate Management Limited have announced the names of the first new restaurants that will open at the centre’s new food hub, The Crossing that is currently under construction.

El Taco Loco, Rooster’s Southern Fried Chicken, Real Cafe and Burger King will be amongst the first units to open in the new 16,000 sq ft food hub on the first floor of the upper mall.  These will be joined by The Street Food Kitchen, which will feature regularly changing food vendors offering street food such as Thai, Belgian Waffles and Indian-inspired cuisine.  El Taco Loco specialises in quick-service Mexican street food such as burrito, tacos and wraps and Real Cafe will offer light snacks and Italian coffee.

The food kitchens will be surrounded by an 200+ seater dining area that will serve each of the new eateries.  CPL Food Group, who already operate in several other shopping centres in the UK, will run the restaurants.  Jamie Constable is Property Manager at CPL and said: “We’re pleased to be bringing our popular brands to Swindon Town Centre and to be opening in The Brunel Shopping Centre.  Our names are well-known on the high street and in other towns, so we’re sure they will be a success in Swindon too.”

Kevin Gwilliam, General Manager of The Brunel said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming CPL and their food kitchens to The Brunel.

“We have had a great deal of interest in The Crossing and are currently in the process of finalising the paperwork on a further five restaurants, the names of which will be announced soon.  We are delighted that, once the ink is dry on these contracts, the first phase of The Crossing will be 80% let.

“The popularity of The Crossing is great news for The Brunel retailers and for the town centre in general.  It is well-recognised that high streets are changing and that being able to spend time eating and relaxing whilst shopping is now an important part of our leisure time.  The Crossing will make this possible in Swindon Town Centre and will encourage people to come into town, and to stay here for longer.  We are certain that this increase in visitor numbers is exactly what is needed to encourage more retailers to come into town.”

The new food hub is expected to create 60+ new jobs for the town centre, some of which are now being advertised on The Brunel’s website, see www.thebrunel.co.uk.  To find out more about job Vacancies for the new restaurants at the (local Job Centre and CV Library, you can also send your CV to [email protected])

Today a £1m gym opened at The Brunel, near to House of Fraser.  Buzz Gym operates 24 hours and offers no-contract membership.  To find out more about Buzz see www.buzzgym.co.uk/swindon-gym.  In autumn 2016, the popular and long-established Bonkers Play Area relocated from Studley Grange to The Brunel Shopping Centre.  The in-door play specialists have recently opened a crèche facility, the first in Swindon Town Centre.  To find out more about Bonkers and the new crèche, see www.bonkersplay.co.uk

Once completed The Crossing will also incorporate a new play zone, an event space, charge points for mobile devices, free super-fast Wi-Fi plus refurbished customer toilets.  It is located in the area around the existing link bridge between Brunel Arcade and Brunel Plaza on the first floor of the shopping centre and will benefit from a direct link from Canal Walk via a new escalator entrance.