Derbion is investing more than £2 million into the refurbishment of its food court, introducing a fresh new look, additional seating and new brands, including Popeyes®.
The investment will increase seating capacity from approximately 650 to 800 to meet growing demand from visitors, with the area being renamed the Food Terrace to reflect its brighter and lighter atmosphere.
New flooring and lighting will be introduced to create a refreshed environment, and new mobile charging points, recycling stations and baby and children feeding facilities including microwaves and bottle warmers will be incorporated into the designs.
The refurbishment works have started are set to be completed by Autumn 2022, with the area remaining open for customers throughout.
Derbion will be bringing a number of new additions to the Food Terrace, to sit alongside its existing variety of grab and go options and standalone restaurants. The first new opening will be famed American fried chicken brand, Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen.
Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes® has more than 50 years of history and culinary tradition and is known for its Famous Louisiana Chicken and unique ‘shatter crunch’ texture. The menu includes the Chicken Sandwich which ‘broke the internet’ when launched in the US in 2019, as well as Signature Louisiana Chicken, Chicken tenders, and the Popeyes® Biscuit. It is now one of the world’s largest chicken quick-service restaurants with over 3,700 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. Popeyes® at Derbion will be one of the first locations in the Midlands for the brand.
Popeyes® will open later this year and sit alongside existing brands including Subway, GDK and KFC, as well as Derbion’s eight standalone restaurants, including Wagamama, Carluccio’s, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Fridays and Five Guys.
Alongside the investment into the Food Terrace, the adjacent washroom facilities on Level 2 are currently being refurbished with the revamp including a full refresh of the male, female and disabled toilets, as well as the parent room.
Adam Tamsett, centre director at Derbion said: “Our food court has always been a hugely popular destination within the centre, and this demand has only increased over the past two years. Alongside our daytime visitors, the area remains a busy early evening destination, supporting the Showcase Cinema De Lux, Hollywood Bowl and Paradise Island Adventure Golf, as well as Derby Theatre.
“The refurbishment will enable us to extend our seating area to welcome even more visitors to our revamped Food Terrace to enjoy a breadth of choice in a contemporary, welcoming environment.
“We are committed to our continued investment in the centre to ensure that it meets the changing needs of our customers. The Food Terrace is the next step of that evolution, and we’re looking forward to getting started on this exciting phase of development at Derbion.”
