Ask Italian, the Gondola-owned, Stephen Holmes-led chain, is thought to have taken a unit in Manchester city centre as it looks to concentrate its future expansion plans on securing sites in major cities as part of handful of openings for the brand over the next few years.
The Gondola-owned chain is believed to have secured a site at the former Lloyds development in the city’s Kings Street, which is due to be completed by the end of this year.
Earlier this year, it confirmed it had secured the c4,600sq ft former Barclays Bank building in the Birmingham’s New Street for an opening later this year.
The c120-strong chain, which recently opened a flagship site for its tweaked format at Bluewater, is currently under represented across some of the UK’s major cities and in central London, but is looking to rectify that going forward.
The group has opened 11 new sites under its latest design, including sites in Horsham and Norwich and hopes to convert 20 restaurants a year from its existing estate to the new look.
