Surge in the level of new restaurants opening in Yorkshire

Research by real estate advisor Savills has reported that the number of new multiple restaurant brands opening sites in Leeds has risen by 209 per cent to 46 from 22 in 2012. The surge has been led by new entrants including Bill’s, Gusto and Turtle Bay, with the number of units occupied by branded restaurants has more than doubled from 25 to 52 during that time.

The figures are published in the Casual Dining study fromfrom Savills and showed that Leeds now has the second highest total supply of branded casual dining restaurants of any place outside of London (only Manchester has more with 78). Additionally, York ranked 19th in the UK’s top 50 casual dining towns in terms of supply. Harrogate was also among the top 50 towns for best casual dining growth story since 2012.

Steve Henderson, retail director at Savills, said: “The casual dining scene in Leeds has swung from mass market to aspirational, with Busaba Eathai, Friends of Ham, Steve Pilling’s Dockyard, tapas bar 53 Degrees North and renowned chefs including Marco Pierre White all due to open in the city. While mass market brands still have their place and perform well, consumers are consistently seeking something different which will drive further growth in branded restaurants in Leeds as well as Yorkshire’s other big towns and cities for the foreseeable future.”

Savills also reports a clear shift in trends towards North American cuisine, with burger, barbecue and steak restaurants seeing increases of 80 per cent, 71 per cent and 52 per cent respectively.