Za Za Bazaar is fighting to stop the demolition of its restaurant that would make way for a new harbourside building. Bristol's largest restaurant is pleading with the community to object to the plans which it has said would close the restaurant for good.
Proposals led by CBRE Investment Management first emerged in 2021 to knock down the 1990s U-Shed building which houses Za Za Bazaar and B2B The Waterside. If approved, it would see a larger, four-storey building on the same footprint as Pero's Bridge including offices on the upper levels and space on the ground floor for three commercial units with access from Canons Road.
Bristol-based V7, which is managing the application, has said it is engaging with the restaurant owners to see if the proposed space suits their news. Za Za Bazaar told BristolLive it had not been approached by the building owners but is "open to discussions" with the developer. Za Za Bazaar has sublet the waterside space, which seats around 1,000 people, since 2011.
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Bristol City Council's planning portal lists more than 200 objections to the proposal, the majority of which are autogenerated emails sent to the planning department from Za Za Bazaar's campaign. Conversely, the development has been fully supported by its neighbours Watershed and We the Curious as well as Bristol City Centre BID, the latter of which said the plans "will make a significant improvement to an area that can feel unloved and unwelcoming".
A spokesperson for Za Za Bazaar said: "We have objected to the proposal on the grounds that it would result in the closure of Za Za Bazaar - an extremely popular restaurant which serves up to 12,000 customers each week and employs over 230 people. We have not been approached by the owners of the building to discuss being accommodated on the ground floor of the proposed redevelopment.
"In any event, the disruption caused by the redevelopment and the limited space available following this is likely to mean the restaurant is no longer a viable proposition. We nevertheless remain open to discussions with the developer.
"We believe we have a unique place in the history of this area and appeal to a very broad and diverse customer base that would be left with a new development offer which is already extensively represented throughout the city, and are asking as many people as possible support us in our objection to the application."
A spokesperson for the project’s development management company, V7, said: “The redevelopment of U Shed will create hundreds of new office and hospitality jobs, bringing much-needed greater spending across the week and during the day in local cafes, restaurants and shops in Harbourside.
"The proposals would see three new, large ground floor commercial spaces which we expect would be taken by local foodie companies, ensuring Harbourside has that distinct and unique Bristol flavour. There are many great local Bristol food and drink companies that would be a perfect fit for Harbourside.
“The original tenant at U-Shed has sublet its space to Za Za Bazaar. That arrangement is now coming to an end. We are engaging with Za Za Bazaar’s owners, including on the question of whether the new ground floor spaces would meet their needs. Nothing has yet been ruled in or out."
On the campaign flyer, Za Za Bazaar said it welcomed public realm works as part of the development but that it should not be "at the expense of a local employer". While the building isn't listed, the restaurant also expressed concerns about the impact on surrounding heritage assets. The plans include a top storey that is set back to allow a rooftop terrace on both sides of the building.
The V7 spokesperson added: “But the reason the application is supported by Watershed, We the Curious and BID City Centre is because of the massive investment we are proposing in the public realm, including creating safe and attractive, tree-lined open spaces on Anchor Square and Canons Road to the rear of Watershed and U Shed.
"This will see an overhaul of the paving, lighting and seating, a decluttering of signage, planting lots of new trees and bike stands. Rather than turning its back on Canon’s Road – as the current 90s-built building does – our new building would also open partly onto what is currently an underused and unwelcoming part of Harbourside."
V7 referenced Watershed's supporting statement that welcomed the "well-thought-through improvements" to "declutter" the space in front of Pero's Bridge. "The scheme would bring active frontages to Canon’s Road, invest in greening what is currently an unwelcoming area, and declutter the space in front of Pero’s Bridge. These significant improvements will help revitalise this important part of Harbourside," it said.
Za Za Bazaar is asking people to object to the proposal by emailing Bristol City Council or signing a petition inside the restaurant.
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