Looking across Leeds it is an exciting time for new openings in the city.
Walking around, in recent weeks, you are likely to have seen hoardings advertising shop and restaurant launches in many of Leeds’ shopping centres. Given there’s so much activity and, the prospect of jobs being created, we thought it was a good moment to take a look at what we have to look forward to.
We've put together a list of the best new openings coming to Leeds city centre in the coming weeks and months. There are some major big names coming as well as some brands expanding to Leeds after enjoying success in towns and cities elsewhere.
Read more: 13 big gigs happening in Leeds this July
Take a scroll below and see what is coming:
New shops
At Victoria Leeds, there’s five new stores coming soon. We will see clothing brands Whistles and Phase Eight, salon Townhouse Nails, glasses specialist Jimmy Fairly and spirits store The Whisky Shop launch.
Jo Coburn, senior general manager at Victoria Leeds, said: “Retail is constantly evolving, and we are fast becoming the preferred destination not just for shopping, but leisure and lifestyle too. Having a dynamic sense of ‘now’ has never been more important. These new brands are a welcome addition to Victoria Leeds as our brand mix is key to ensuring that our beautiful destination is first on the bucket list when you’re visiting our fantastic city.
“It is our aim to create engaging, relevant experiences and events around this mix, that build anticipation and engagement with our customers and ultimately a true sense of belonging to the Victoria Leeds community. From fashion weekenders and immersive activations to large-scale artistry and involvement in cultural city trails. We work in collaboration with all our city partners to make Victoria Leeds one of the most inspiring places to visit when you’re in the city centre.”
This latest announcement comes as one of Victoria Leeds’ most successful brands, Size?, have moved to a new space in Victoria Quarter that is four-times bigger than their previous store. The designer trainer and footwear brand is now housed in a three-floor premises on King Edward Street.
Elsewhere, work is currently ongoing for a new-and-improved Foot Locker, in Briggate, with the chain recruiting for staff. Work is also taking place for a new Beaverbrooks unit at Trinity Leeds. We’ll see a new Ann Summers launch in the old Paperchase unit in Commercial Street this summer as well.
New restaurants
It is all go over at Trinity with a couple of new eateries to come at the shopping centre. Slim Chickens is opening in after enjoying success in Manchester, London and Birmingham. It will be taking over the former Carluccio's restaurant in Trinity Leeds.
The American-style restaurant will be opening its doors this coming Thursday, July 6. The first 30 diners will be treated to a free portion of their chicken tenders, free of charge. The fried chicken restaurant specialises in fresh, homemade Southern-inspired dishes, including hand-breaded buttermilk chicken tenders, fresh Buffalo wings and a range of 15 handmade dipping sauces, as well as a variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads and sides, plus vegetarian plant-based options.
The Leeds Primark will be getting an exciting new addition soon as the store announces it'll be rolling out in-store cafes and vintage stands further across the country. The store in Trinity Leeds will be getting a Tasty by Greggs café which is expected to open by the end of the summer.
Tim Kelly, Director of New Business Development, Primark said: “Our stores are at the heart of Primark and we’re always looking for ways to bring them to life, giving customers experiences they can’t find anywhere else.
"Our partnerships with Greggs and WornWell have been two very different partnerships but the customer reaction to both has been fantastic, so we’re delighted to be expanding our partnerships, bringing them to more locations across the UK and offering customers even more reasons to visit their local store.”
While over at the Merrion Centre, work is continuing on Blue Pavilion. We'll bring you more on the new Chinese luxury restaurant and karaoke bar as well as the other launches, listed above, when we have further details.
To find out the latest of new openings in our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
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