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Gloucestershire Business News

Pizza restaurant will be first outside London

A US-style pizza restaurant is heading for Cheltenham.

Japes will open in the former Santiagos restaurant at 23 Promenade. The brand operates three branches in London.

The Cheltenham restaurant is a joint venture between Paul Hunter, who lives in Cheltenham, and the owner. Paul has been a director with a number of hospitality groups, more recently consulting which led him to work alongside Japes, helping to develop the brand and instigate its growth outside of the capital.

Paul said: "The London locations are performing extremely well and with amazing reviews. We wanted to bring the concept outside so it can be enjoyed provincially. As I live in Cheltenham, it made sense to start where I know!

"Cheltenham will have a great new design with a focus on the bar as well as the restaurant, new cocktails and an extended menu. The plan is to grow the business outside the capital and I'm excited to start in my home town."

"Japes will serve three distinct styles of American pizza not available anywhere else in Cheltenham - Chicago (deep dish or 'pie'), Detroit and New York, all available as delivery options as well."

Work on fitting out the new restaurant will begin on November 11.

Paul continued: "We want to be open as soon as possible, but by January 1 at the latest. All being well, we will open between Christmas and New Year."

The new restaurant will employ between 20 and 30 staff.

Richard Knightley, senior director at KBW in Cheltenham, said: "We are very pleased to secure this new restaurant tenant for our client. 23 Promenade has a long history of Italian cuisine, and I look forward to trying their Chicago deep dish pizzas very soon.

"This letting is the latest of several on The Promenade as it continues its resurgence with new store openings this year alone for Caffè Nero, Charles Tyrwhitt and Goldsmiths."

Japes will be the latest in a long line of pizza restaurants to open in the town centre. Franco Manca opened a few doors away in 2022 and Bosco Pizzeria at The Quadrangle on The Promenade also opened in 2022. Settebello Italian restaurant opened on Imperial Square just a few weeks ago.

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