The business breakfast is no longer the preserve of the capital, according to Yorkshire-based Ossett Brewery managing director Jamie Lawson.
He told M&C that the company’s new all-day dining concept Archie’s in the Granary Wharf development next to Leeds station had already seen strong trading in the morning.
He said: “Business breakfasts are nothing new but I think for a long time you weren’t really seeing the effect of it outside London. Now it’s becoming a big trend across the country and we’ve really tried to capitalise on that.”
Archie’s is Ossett’s third site in Granary Wharf, alongside Candlebar, which opened in the summer, and The Hop.
Lawson said all three were trading well but said the opening of Archie’s had been timed to coincide with the opening of a new entrance to the station directly in front of the venue. However, this has been delayed until January.
Lawson said: “The estimates are that there will be 20,000 entries and exits per day through that side of the station so it will be a huge footfall generator. We are really pleased with how the sites are doing but we won’t see their full potential until that entrance is open.”
On future plans, Lawson said: “We have got 25 sites now and 2016 is probably going to a year of consolidation – making sure all of those sites are performing at their best. Beyond that we will look to grow but not at a silly rate.”
