New shops in the city centre

[Nathowl]

Chicken Cottage is opening down the Wicker.

[AndrewC]

At last.

[Nathowl]

2 new retail kiosks will be installed into Sheffield station....

The Pasty Shop and Starbucks. Good news IMO

[jozblade]

Whereabouts will this be? Are they going to be newly built units then?

[muddycoffee]

Originally Posted by Nathowl

Chicken Cottage is opening down the Wicker.

what the fuck is "chicken cottage" ?

It sounds like one of those disgusting fried chicken places. And the name is terrible, the only thing worse is "sausage cottage" a snack van which is often parked in the car park of Old Crown pub on penistone road.

[dinp]

I think its one of those Southern Fried Chicken jobbies, so you're about right.

[muddycoffee]

Just looked up the website an it's bad. Kind of like McDonalds but the tasteless plastic expensive food, in this case, looks a bit yellower.

[arepeejee]

They're a famous-ish brand down in London, never been there though.

[jozblade]

There's one near me in Manchester. Never been in though. But it looks like another version of KFC.

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Chicken Cottage as immortalised in Four Lions... Perfect fit for the Wicker!

[blades_lad]

I'm not sure what's going off, but for the past few days there's been some activity in one of the shops below Deacon House (opposite Staples). It's the shop on the corner that used to be the computer shop before it moved to Shoreham Street (Staples end). There's been a lot of clearance happening and a few months ago I did see a couple of people looking round it with an agent

[muddycoffee]

I would have thought that was an excellent position. Very good for people who parked to go into staples to pop in the shop on their way out.
I used to use that computer shop. I didn't know it had moved, it just seemed to have dissapeared overnight.

[blades_lad]

Yeah it moved a while back opposite the back of the Kop, I guess for cheaper rents. It should be a very good position especially if the proposed rumoured move of Argos into the Staples building goes ahead as there'd be an increase in footfall in that area

[Steely_Blade]

Noticed over the past few weeks that there are Pret A Manger's in quite a few cities and towns. Around us there are Pret's in Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham.

It's quite surprising that one hasn't opened in Sheffield and I kind of thought that St Pauls area would be ideal for one. Right sort of units available and would get a fair amount of lunch goer's there. Also the opportunity to have outside seating.

Now I have to admit, I'm not openly fussed about Pret it's ok, but just think that while ever these units are empty surely some chains would be interested.
Perhaps some don't know either. Personally I'd rather independent retail/dining companies took them up because then it's a bit more special. But some chain's in some ways should be found in city centre's.

For instance River Island had quite an absence from the centre, there's no House of Fraser, Zara and Republic too has only recently opened to be honest. Again if independent or similar alternatives are there it's better but it's a reason why Sheffield has a poor retail offering for the size of the city.

On the Pret website says they may be looking at opening in Meadowhall which is quite typical really.
So I thought to myself lets be a noob and email the address given for suggestions for new stores, I suggested St Pauls/Peace Gardens as a good site to move to.

I was quite surprised with the response:
"Thanks for your e-mail. Unfortunately Sheffield isn't currently a requirement for Pret, however we are constantly reviewing our target locations so this may well change in the future"

What an odd statement "Sheffield isn't a requirement".
Not Sheffield isn't on our plans just yet, sounds like they currently don't see Sheffield as being worthwhile... maybe I'm reading into it too much?

Anyway just thought I'd share, bit pointless really but makes you wonder about other companies who as yet haven't got a store in the centre.

[Superfly]

Hmm, I think they mean the don't 'require' a store in Sheffield yet, which is indeed an odd way of putting it. I'm fairly confident they (or someone similar) will come with Sevenstone though...

[Master_P]

They may well come in time but at the moment I don't think the city centre is fashionable enough for them. While ever most people continue to shop at Meadowhall and there is little offering the city centre, the centre will struggle to attract any restaurants, cafe's etc. That's why I can see the units arounf St Pauls being empty for a long time. They have no problem with Meadowhall because it is more or less guaranteed to be a success, thats why Mhall will have little problem with expansion of the Oasis. It's a shame really because I think the city centre has far more potential.

[arepeejee]

Pret used to have a branch in Meadowhall, next to Jessops photography is now.

Its the only Pret store to close in the history of pret-a-manger.

Ironically, the same can be said of Pret's owners, McDonalds, as the Moor branch was the first one to close and not re-open either in the same area or in the same unit (excluding the Millennium Dome branch).

[Leeds No.1]

Pret isn't owned by McDonalds- they took out a 33% stake in Pret but that ended in 2008 when Bridgepoint took it over.

They tend to go for prime locations in major shopping and/or business districts and they expand slowly. I'm sure they will open in Sheffield at some point- maybe when Sevenstone gets underway.

[Mr Brightside]

Pret is crap anyway, just another boring generic coffee place.

[muddycoffee]

I find it funny how companies can get away with such shit names and just change them into "french" to get them to sound classy.

Pret a manger = fast food
Bon Marche = cheap stuff