High end fast food chain Burger and Lobster is on the verge of signing a deal to open its first outlet in Scotland at the controversial Marischal Square development.
Winebar chain All Bar One is also eyeing the scheme, according to sources.
The developers behind the controversial Marischal Square project have claimed they have enjoyed “significant” interest from bar and restaurant owners considering a move into the £107million city centre redevelopment.
Muse Developments also insisted that the scheme will “complement” the listed Provost Skenes House and Marischal College as its parent company reported a £39.4million loss in the first half of this year.
Last night, council leader Jenny Laing said that pulling such “high-end” establishments to the north-east was proof the development was offering “fantastic” business opportunities.
“The decision to ahead with this project was not taken lightly – we had a lot to weigh up,” she said.
“To see such high-end businesses coming forward and looking for space indicates they are very confident with what we are doing.”
The developer, part of construction giant Morgan Sindall, has earmarked 35,000 sq ft of the development for a bar and restaurant mecca, alongside a hotel and a massive office building offering 175,000 sq ft of space on the sensitive site.
Burger and Lobster – famed for having only three items on the menu – opened its first outlet in London’s swanky Mayfair in 2011. The “surf and turf” restaurant, which sells just burgers, lobster and lobster on a roll – is part of the Goodman Group of restaurants controlled by flamboyant Russian restaurateur, Mikhail Zelman.
Stephen Turner, regional director at Muse Developments, said the start of work on the Marischal Square development was a “notable achievement” for the firm which had a “positive start” to the year.
Morgan Sindall’s regeneration division, which includes Muse, said its operating profit in the six months to the end of June had risen 43% to £5million on the same period last year.
This was in contrast to the larger group’s figures, which revealed a £39.4million hit on “old” construction contracts at the Faslane nuclear submarine base which drove the company into a loss for the half year.
Mr Turner said: “It’s been a positive start to the year for Muse.
“We’re seeing a return of confidence in Scotland’s core markets, with speculative office development now occurring in major city centres. Muse is well-placed to benefit from these improving conditions with a secured land bank, healthy forward development pipeline and more than 20 projects currently on site across the UK.
He added: “2015 has already seen some notable achievements, including work starting on Marischal Square, the £107m mixed use regeneration project in Aberdeen city centre, which we are developing with Aviva Investors and Aberdeen City Council. We’ll continue to work closely with our partners to improve places for people, boosting local economies, building new homes and creating jobs.”