Frenchgate to wow visitors with the UK debut of two of Ireland's hottest restaurants

The Frenchgate Partnership, owners of the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster, has signed two Irish F&B brands for their debut sites in the UK.  WOWBURGER and Elephant & Castle are taking 2,800 sq ft and 4,000 sq ft respectively. Both will open on the first floor of Frenchgate’s North Mall Gallery in the fourth quarter of 2020.

 WOWBURGER, part of the Press Up Hospitality Group, serves quality burgers made with the very best ingredients, free toppings, home cut fries, creamy shakes and sundaes.  The brand currently has fourteen outlets in Ireland, clustered in and around Dublin and Cork.  Each location reflects the brand’s vibrant red and yellow colour scheme, with interiors inspired by American burger restaurants.

Also from the Press Up Hospitality Group stable, Elephant & Castle is one of Ireland’s most iconic restaurants, having set up in Dublin’s Temple Bar 30 years ago, an extension of its original sister restaurant in the Lower East-Side in Manhattan, NYC.  Elephant & Castle serves up an all-day menu of classic New York-style dishes, including their famous crispy spicy chicken wings, which have amassed a cult following across the globe.  There are currently six Elephant & Castle locations in Dublin, including the flagship site in Temple Bar.

Commenting on their first UK signings, Laura Arnold, head of marketing and public relations at Press Up, said: “We have been planning the UK debuts of WOWBURGER and Elephant & Castle for some time, following closely a handful of locations that meet our requirements.  Frenchgate is ideal, with its high footfall, strong regional appeal, and an evident commitment to providing visitors with a range of engaging F&B brands.”

Patrick Mellon of Frenchgate added: “Our strategy is creating a unique mix of choice, quality and experience for visitors, be they living locally or travelling to Frenchgate from across the region.  The approach has been successful historically and is even more relevant now as the centre emerges from the lockdown.  Securing these two strong brands for their UK launch sites is a great accolade for the centre and a testament to the leasing team’s commitment to delivering the vision.”

 In addition to signing WOWBURGER and Elephant & Castle, the Frenchgate Partnership has completed 40,000 sq ft of new deals, regears and renewals in the last six months.  Further negotiations with other existing operators are anticipated to conclude successfully in the coming weeks.  The Partnership is also in detailed discussions with cinema operators following receiving planning consent in April last year for a 15,000 sq ft, eight-screen multiplex.

Time Retail and Rawstron Johnson represented The Frenchgate Partnership.  Press Up dealt directly.