Ax Throwing, Gyms, Food: Birmingham Leisure's New Year's Resolutions
Birmingham is being targetted by restuarateurs and leisure operators. The last year has seen dozens of new restaurants and a surge in venues ranging from tiki bars to immersive table tennis.
New year, new leisure craze? Here are four top tips for the Birmingham leisure sector in 2019.
1. There Will Be Yet More Restaurants
Last year was a big one for restaurant growth in central Birmingham, though not all new arrivals survived. With a long list of new openings already slated for 2019, it is a safe bet that more will follow.
“This is being fuelled by the increase in supply and development of residential properties,” Creative Retail partner Ed Purcell said. “Popular independent operators will sit alongside national brands to create and enhance areas together, providing residents in the city centre with a wide variety of cuisines and experiences to enjoy."
2. Watch The House Of Fraser Site And Paradise Forum
Legal & General's proposals for the House of Fraser site on Corporation Street, and the adjoining properties on Temple Row, include 105K SF of new leisure and retail floorspace, Birmingham Live reports.
Last year it emerged that L&G is preparing to convert the building into 365K SF of newly refurbished office space over nine floors, as well as provide a 75K SF boutqiue hotel.
The re-thought Paradise Forum will also be interesting, and will see a host of high-end restaurants opened and trading. “The landlord is targeting premium restaurant and bar brands to complement PwC and other office users,” Purcell said.
3. Ax Throwing Alert
2018 saw Aviva Investors agree a 17K SF letting to Mr Mulligan’s at Broadway Plaza, with the scheme subsequently sold to Legal & General. The new 36-hole indoor crazy golf course should open its doors in the early part of 2019.
“2018 saw the launch of a wide variety of leisure operators in the city’s established leisure pitches, including Escape Rooms, ping pong bars, video game bars, ax throwing, crazy golf and rock climbing. As people seek a substitute to sitting in bars and night clubs, more and more of these alternative leisure establishments will appear and with increasing diversity,” Purcell said.
4. Gyms, Gyms, Gyms
The joyless treadmill, the stationary bikes, the cross-trainer which nobody can use without looking horrifically uncool: expect lots more of this in 2019 as the gym business accelerates its growth, largely driven by the growing office and residential markets.
Hubble said that the number of companies searching for offices with gyms increased 8% month on month during 2018. One in seven British residents are said to have a gym membership, although how many make regular use of it is not so clear.
Alongside average month-on-month growth, Hubble’s figures show a particular spike in searches for offices with gyms in the first quarter of the year, and in the spring. The analysis shows February to March 2018 saw a 31% jump, and May to June rose 27%.
Wise heads expect the boutique fitness clubs now flourishing in London to make headway in Birmingham.
