Merry Hill, one of the UK’s leading super regional shopping centres, is set to welcome two new food and beverage operators, Heavenly Desserts and Burger & Sauce. These latest signings mark the final additions to the centre’s evolving leisure quarter, following a successful year for dining at the destination, with both spend and conversion rates exceeding regional mall benchmarks.
Opening in April, Heavenly Desserts has secured a 2,189 sq ft unit with seating for 68 guests. Located next to Wingstop and opposite the recently opened Loungers, the dessert-focused brand will complement the existing mix of savoury dining options, bringing a dedicated sweet treat experience to visitors.
Meanwhile, West Midlands-based burger brand Burger & Sauce is set to open a 2,106 sq ft restaurant later this year. With space for 54 seated diners, the new location will offer a menu featuring freshly made burgers, wings, and loaded fries, further enhancing Merry Hill’s quick-service dining options.
Alistair Winning, Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, representing Merry Hill, commented:
“The signings of Heavenly Desserts and Burger & Sauce are significant ones, because their openings later this year will signal the completion of the leisure quarter letting. The southern mall has truly been transformed into a dynamic dining destination, bringing together a blend of sit-in, quick-service, savoury, and sweet options, to respond to ever-evolving consumer demand and complement the nearby leisure from Hollywood Bowl and Odeon.”
The arrival of Heavenly Desserts and Burger & Sauce continues the trend of investment in Merry Hill’s leisure quarter, which has seen £12 million of development over the past three years. The dining and entertainment hub now includes popular brands such as Hollywood Bowl, Wagamama, ASK Italian, Bon Pan Asian Restaurant, and Wingstop.
Sobia Mirza, Partner at Merry Hill’s new Heavenly Desserts location, added:
“With its broad catchment, high footfall, and significant dwell time, Merry Hill is an ideal destination, aligning with exactly the culture we strive to find for our restaurants. We are incredibly excited to bring our unique dessert experience to such a vibrant and bustling location and look forward to becoming a favourite spot for our guests.”
The expansion reflects the growing consumer demand for a diverse and engaging dining experience within shopping centres, reinforcing Merry Hill’s position as a key leisure and retail destination in the UK.
Publisher of Hospitality and Leisure News, 365 Retail, Retail Source and organiser of the Creative Retail Awards.
