Manchester Arndale is delighted to announce that the UK’s favourite dessert restaurant brand, Creams Cafe, will be opening a new 2,325 sq ft store at the centre.
The store, which has been let on a 15-year lease, will offer the full Creams Cafe experience with the brand’s menu of flamboyant and indulgent desserts – from sundaes and shakes to waffles and crepes – for dine-in, takeaway and delivery. The interiors of the restaurant will reflect the vibrancy of the desserts, with a dark colour palette of blues and blacks alongside pops of purple and pink, neon signage, and BMX bikes and skateboards adorning the walls. The letting at Manchester Arndale continues Creams’ expansion which now consists of over 100 restaurants and outlets across the UK.
Creams’ arrival follows news that Betfred has signed a 10-year lease for a 1,346 sq ft unit within Manchester Arndale. The bookmaker has a well-known connection with the North West region, with founder Fred Done opening his first betting shop in Salford in 1967.
As well as Creams Cafe and Betfred, Manchester Arndale is due to welcome another leading multinational F&B brand early next year after it signed a 15-year lease for a new 3,700 sq ft flagship store in the centre.
Manchester Arndale has also agreed a new 10-year lease with jewellery specialists Pandora who have increased their space at the centre. Previously located in Unit L5, Pandora has taken a further 1,600 sq ft of space in the adjacent unit to cater for the strong demand it is seeing from shoppers for its range of products.
Alongside the three new arrivals and Pandora’s expansion, Manchester Arndale has also agreed new long-term lease renewals with popular F&B brands Pizza Hut and Café Nero both signing for new 5-year terms, whilst footwear brand Dr Martins has also agreed a new 5-year lease.
These recent lettings and lease renewals mean that Manchester Arndale has now reached 95% retail occupancy. During that time Manchester Arndale has expanded its F&B offering with the arrival of Slim Chickens, Kokoro, Tim Hortons and Pizza Luxe, while continuing to grow its fashion offering by welcoming Debenhams.com, Tommy Hilfiger, Canada Goose, Kurt Geiger, and Kick Game in recent months.
All of these new openings, along with new leisure operators including Urban Playground and Roxy Ballroom, have continued to enhance Manchester Arndale’s reputation as a leading retail and leisure destination in the North West.
Colin Flinn spokesperson for Manchester Arndale said: “We are delighted that lettings activity remains strong at Manchester Arndale, and we welcome our new arrivals to the centre as we continue to grow our F&B and leisure offering. We are also pleased to announce new lease renewals for Pizza Hut, Café Nero, and Dr Martins, as well as the upsizing by Pandora, as it highlights their commitment to – and faith in – the long-term performance of Manchester Arndale, recognising its place as a leading destination which continues to attract millions of visitors from across the North West and beyond.
“Experiential retail is becoming increasingly important for centres like Manchester Arndale and having a strong F&B offering helps to encourage shoppers to visit in-store as opposed to shopping online. We hope to announce further new lettings and leasing activity across the centre as we seek to maintain Manchester Arndale’s position as a premier retail and leisure destination in the UK.”
Othman Shoukat, managing director for Creams Café, said: ““We’re thrilled to be opening in the iconic Manchester Arndale and we’re confident that Creams Cafe will be a very welcomed addition to the shopping mall’s already impressive line-up of food and beverage outlets. With one successful restaurant already operating in Cheetham Hill, we look forward to bringing our delicious desserts to even more of the Manchester community.”
