Talking Italian as Carluccio’s to make its debut

INTERNATIONAL Italian cafe chain Carluccio’s is to launch its first restaurant in Yorkshire in the spring, creating 40 new jobs.

London-based Carluccio’s is set to open in May after leasing a 5,000 sq ft ground floor unit at 4-5 Greek Street, Leeds, owned by landlord Warner Estate Holdings and Aviva Investors Apia Regional Offices Fund (Apia).

Carluccio’s beat off competition from five other companies to take a 25-year lease at the building previously occupied by bar group Quid Pro Quo.

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The restaurant chain, founded more than 20 years ago, has 52 restaurants in the UK and Dublin as well as in the Middle East. Its nearest northern restaurant is in Manchester.

Michael Bradley, senior asset manager at Warner Estates Holdings, said: “Securing Carluccio’s first Yorkshire restaurant on the ground floor of our 81,000 sq ft Yorkshire House holding in Leeds city centre complements the area’s developing catering mix and provides a welcome dining offer for office workers in the floors above.”

Carluccio’s was represented by Leeds-based property consultants King Sturge and its retained London-based agents, Kelion Sworn.

Richard Padley, chartered surveyor in the King Sturge in-town retail team, said: “Carluccio’s is an exciting and highly-regarded restaurant chain which has been seeking a presence in Leeds for some time.

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“This is a fantastic coup for Leeds and Carluccio’s launch will help revitalise Greek Street, adding to the mix of quality restaurants and promoting it as one of Leeds’ premiere restaurant destinations.

“Securing Carluccio’s shows that the Leeds leisure market remains strong and is able to attract large restaurant operators which are very keen to open here, whatever concerns may exist in the wider economy.”

Richard Shuttleworth, director of Pudney Shuttleworth, who acted for Warner Estate Holdings and Apia, added: “We secured six offers for this unit in a very short timescale, demonstrating significant demand in Leeds for prime units.

“This competition enabled us to help improve the value of our client’s Greek Street holding and move the tone of prime leisure rents in Leeds forward.”

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Last year, Carluccio’s agreed to a £90.3m takeover offer from Landmark, the Middle Eastern retail and leisure group run by Micky Jagtiani, one of Asia’s richest men, which offered 142p in cash per share.

Carluccio’s biggest shareholder was the restaurant and clothing entrepreneur Richard Caring who owned around 12 per cent of the shares.

Mr Caring owns many of London’s best-known clubs and restaurants, including The Ivy, Le Caprice and Soho House. He made his fortune supplying clothes to retailers including Topshop and Next.

Before the takeover, Dubai-based Landmark already held the franchise for Carluccio’s in the Middle East. Earlier this year, the group announced plans to continue expanding the Carluccio’s restaurant chain in the Middle East, saying it will open 25 more such outlets by 2015. The retail group has already opened outlets in Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait.

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Analysts said the takeover is likely to push Carluccio’s further into international markets, integrating the brand into its portfolio of shopping centres, hotels and theme parks.

The chain was founded by TV chef Antonio Carluccio in 1999, but he no longer owns or runs it.