Restaurant to open in iconic building by Christmas

Image source, MMC PR & Comms

Image caption, The former Burton building in Hull city centre has stood empty for several years
    • Author, Kevin Shoesmith
    • Role, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Pizza Express says it hopes to open a restaurant in an iconic Hull building by Christmas.

The Grade II listed city centre building, which once housed Burton menswear chain, was bought by Wykeland Group in 2021 and restored to its original 1930s look.

Jonathan Stubbs, development director at Wykeland Group, said: "We embarked on this challenging restoration project with the vision of saving one of Hull's landmark buildings from dereliction, creating a thriving commercial space in the heart of the city centre."

Pizza Express said it planned to open "in time for the festive celebrations" and that staff from its current restaurant in Princes Quay would move over to the new venue.

Image source, MMC PR & Comms

Image caption, Pizza Express will occupy the ground floor of the building once occupied by Burton menswear

The BBC has asked Pizza Express what the future holds for its existing branch in the shopping centre just a few hundred yards away but the company has not commented.

Princes Quay Shopping Centre said it did not wish to comment.

Earlier this year, Hull City Council approved a change of use for the building, allowing a restaurant on the ground floor of Burton House.

Standing at the entrance to Whitefriargate and overlooking Queen Victoria Square, it is widely considered to be one of Hull's most distinctive and characterful buildings.

It was designed for company founder Montague Burton by famed chief architect Henry Wilson.

However, the building has stood empty since 2020, when Burton owner Arcadia Group went into administration.

According to Wykeland Group, key to the £2.4m restoration was the replacement of much of the granite cladding which adorns the building.

Replacement granite was sourced from the same quarry in Norway, to match the geographical origin of the original stone, which dates back to the mid 1930s.

In addition, the building's art deco windows were also replaced, with new signage also matching the original.

Mr Stubbs said the developer had also seen "strong interest" in the upper floors at Burton House.

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