The Terrace and GBK confirmed for Queen St Quarter
Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc (‘Aviva’) formally confirmed today (13 August 2015) that “The Terrace” - A Craft Brew Bar and Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) will be opening next year in Exeter's exciting new Queen St dining quarter.
The Terrace and GBK have now signed contracts with Aviva Investors, bringing the Queen St restaurant count up to 4, joining Turtle Bay and The Stable which have been announced previously.
Aviva are also in discussions with tenants for all the remaining units, and have revised the layout of the scheme and reconfigured plans to meet the huge demand from restauranteurs for some larger and multi-level spaces, making the total number of restaurants when fully open to eight.
New concept revealed exclusively for Exeter The Terrace – A Craft Brew Bar is a brand new concept which is being launched in Exeter and the brainchild of the Artigiano team who run the hugely popular Expresso and Wine Bar on Exeter's High Street. The Terrace will be located above the unit formerly occupied by Poundland which is being completely being rebuilt to create a roof-top bar with restaurant, outdoor terrace with views of Exeter Cathedral and a club lounge below.
Joe Hill, Managing Director of Artigiano Expresso Bars Ltd said: “We are delighted to be able to launch our new concept for The Terrace – A Craft Brew Bar at Queen St Dining. Whilst many people already know we have been developing our plans for the site, now we have signed all the legal papers we can now talk about our plans publicly.
"We believe that The Terrace is just what Exeter needs, we are creating an upmarket, contemporary bar, restaurant and lounge bar offering great quality locally sourced menu, carefully selected beers and wines all in a space (9,000 square feet) where customers can spend their whole evening across a number of floors, complete with live music, DJ's and a 2am licence. The Terrace is going to be very special and we are very excited about opening right at the heart of Queen St Dining.”
Burger boost for Queen St Dining Gourmet Burger Kitchen will be opening a two story 3,752 square foot restaurant overlooking Queen St and the barrel-vaulted Ambulatory. GBK was set up by three Kiwi guys in 2001, opening their first restaurant in Battersea, South London. Now with over 60 restaurants across the UK, they pride themselves on serving up a variety of handcrafted burgers, combining 100% prime beef with the freshest ingredients and burger sauces made from scratch, every day, in each GBK kitchen.
Stephen Evans, Development Director at GBK "We’re delighted to announce we'll be opening GBK in Exeter next year. We've been searching for the perfect spot for a while and we’re pleased to have secured a space within the highly anticipated redevelopment of the Guildhall Shopping Centre. Exeter has a vibrant food scene so we're excited to introduce residents, tourists and students alike to GBK and our fresh, crafted and adventurous burgers."
Three weeks ago Queen St saw the arrival of an 80 metre tower crane on site, marking a step change in the development, with these announcements the Queen St Dining Quarter has now reached its latest milestone.
Simon Green, Associate Director of Aviva Investors said: “Aviva Investors are very proud to be able to formally announce that we are bringing GBK to Exeter, who will be taking a two story unit on the corner facing Queen St. We are also delighted to help in the launch of The Terrace – A Craft Brew Bar, a brand new concept and a first not only for Exeter but for the UK, who are leasing the first floor and rooftop space overlooking Market Square, St Pancras Church, Goldsmith Square and Exeter Cathedral beyond. We are in the process of finalising the rest of the deals as part of the Queen St Dining Quarter and hope to make further announcements shortly.”
The Queen St project is seeing the Guildhall Shopping Centre’s neo-classical façade on Queen Street transformed, a new entrance from the high street is underway and the three public spaces within the centre itself are being re-invented: Market Square, bordered by amphitheatre-style seating areas, St Pancras Square overlooking the beautiful 13th-Century St Pancras Church and Goldsmith Square, making them all more welcoming and attractive to shoppers and diners alike.
Aviva Investors will continue to announce more names of the restaurants as they come on board for the Queen St Dining Quarter.
For further information about Gourmet Burger Kitchen visit www.gbk.co.uk for more about the Queen St redevelopment, please visit: www.queenst-exeter.com
