It comes after the iconic building underwent a multi-million pound renovation
Hull could soon welcome a new city centre Pizza Express as a licensing application has been submitted to Hull City Council for the popular chain to open a restaurant in the newly-renovated Burton House. The iconic Grade-II listed building, in Whitefriargate, underwent a multi-million pound restoration which saw the building being covered in scaffolding for almost two years before the spruce-up was unveiled in November last year.
Earlier this year, the council approved an application for the change of use of the building which has now been named ‘Burton House’ having previously been known as ‘the Burton building’. The application gave permission for a restaurant to operate from the ground floor while the building’s upper floors were proposed to become office space.
Following the change of use application, the council has now received a licensing application from Pizza Express. The chain is seeking permission to open a restaurant on the ground floor of the building.
The Hull Daily Mail has contacted Pizza Express to ask what this could mean for their current restaurant located in Princes Quay, just around the corner from Burton House. In response, though neither the existing shopping centre venue or the proposed Burton House site is specifically mentioned, a spokesperson from Pizza Express did say: “We regularly review our pizzeria locations to ensure as many pizza fans as possible can enjoy Dough Balls on demand, and Margaritas with their Margheritas.”
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The commercial property development and investment business, Wykeland Group, which owns the building and delivered its restoration scheme, said: “The £2.4m project to breathe new life into the building has generated significant interest and we are now in advanced discussions with a prestigious national restaurant brand to lease the 2,400 sq ft ground floor and 1,600 sq ft basement area.
“We are also planning works to prepare the upper floors for use as flexible commercial space, responding to the strong interest we have received from other leading businesses keen to occupy this high-quality development.” The owners added that the restoration project “has saved the 1930s art deco landmark from the brink of dereliction, so that it can once again become a thriving commercial space in the heart of the city centre.”
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