A street food and craft beer specialist that has become hugely popular in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester plans to open in York.
Bundobust, which sells vegetarian and vegan Gujarati street food, is set to move into Piccadilly, taking over the old Argos building.
The company opened its first branch in Leeds in 2014, then added others in central Manchester and Liverpool in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Last year, it opened a second Manchester site including its own brewery.
The move will complete the redevelopment of that stretch of Piccadilly, which had been empty for some time.
A few days ago, German Doner Kebab opened in the old Brighthouse building in the same block, as first revealed in YorkMix last autumn.
Bundobust’s licensing application covers 11-13 Piccadilly, which includes both the old Argos shop and the existing Ladbrokes branch next door.
‘Game changing’
It has asked for a licence to start as early as next month.
Bundobust describes itself as a “game-changing and critically acclaimed enterprise” and a “beacon of successful casual dining in the North.”
It sells a wide range of UK and international beers, as well as others from its own brewery. It sells a wide range of small dishes and encourages sharing menus, recommending an average of two to three dishes per person.
David Skaith, chair of York High Street Forum, said shop buildings would ideally remain as shops, but said it was better seeing them reused than standing empty.
He said: “We would love to see more retailers but we do not want empty shops. In a city like York, having empty shops is a real stain on the city, given how popular a destination we are. “
He said people were sometimes wary of new bars and restaurants opening, but said: “When you see something like this, which looks a bit different and not a huge chain, I think most people are open to that, and it’s not in a dense shopping area like the middle of Coney Street.
“Keeping food and drink slightly separate to the shopping area in the middle of the city is not a problem.”
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YorkMix has approached Bundobust for information on a likely opening date and potential job numbers, and is awaiting a response.