Pan Asian restaurant The Muddler has revealed plans to open another North East restaurant as part of major growth ambitions.
The venue in Grey Street, Newcastle, is owned by the well-known Danieli Group which is keen to expand into a rapidly-developing part of Middlesbrough. The idea is in its early stages but it says a planning application will be submitted in the "near future".
The Muddler opened in the city centre in December 2018, on the site of the former Osaka restaurant. A second location has already been chosen for its Middlesbrough branch with proposals to transform the former Kalinka bar and nighclub at the corner of Exchange Square.
Read more: 'Going for Gold' - when The Muddler opened in Newcastle
If the plans are approved, the Grade II-listed venue - in part of Commerce House - will become a 100-seat restaurant and cocktail bar. It will serve The Muddler's Pan-Asian cuisine, including dim sum and Asian-style tapas, and customers will have the option of booking a private dining area, occupying the domed space on the building's top floor.
The plans also would see an outdoor mezzanine level at the back, with additional seating facing onto Exchange Square. The hope is to have planning and licensing applications in place for the new restaurant to open in April next year.
Neill Winch, chief executive officer of Danieli Group, said: “When we saw the investment that has been made in Middlesbrough’s Historic Quarter and the real steps that have been taken to revitalise the area, we knew this was a great location for us. It fits perfectly with The Muddler brand and we hope that we will be something very different to the town in terms of both the food we offer and the high quality of the setting."
He added: ”We think Exchange Square is a great spot and hopefully our commitment will be a catalyst to encourage other good quality leisure operators into the area.” The group is also currently looking at other potential locations across the region which might fit with its expansion plans.
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said he would be "really pleased" and grateful to see The Muddler in the Historic Quarter and that locals would love it. “Fantastic things are happening in Middlesbrough," he said. "We are winning investment, creating jobs and bringing new life and energy to the town."
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