The drive at Coventry’s Skydome to create a family-friendly venue has helped new businesses on site hit targets in the first six months of trading.
The Harvester Salad & Grill restaurant opened at the leisure complex in December and is now serving more than 2,500 customers a week in the space that was previously Old Orleans.
The restaurant sees a spike in customers when the CPP Coventry Blaze play their home matches at the Skydome and the arrival of PureGym is also attracting more people to the complex.
Harvester manager Laura Sargeant said: “It has been a strong start. We are attracting a good mix of customers and the push to make the Skydome a more family-friendly environment is definitely the way to go.
“With the arena attracting family groups to the ice hockey and the cinema doing likewise, it definitely has a positive knock-on effect for us.”
At the same time, PureGym has beaten expectations by 35 per cent since it opened last year with its low-cost, no-contract business model.
Both venues were attracted to the Skydome after it was bought by Mansford last autumn. The company is investing in the scheme to improve the units at the development that opened in 1999.
As well as that, Mansford is also funding major improvements to the 779-space car park, the boulevard and the linkage to the main city centre.
Martin Yardley, Director of City Services and Development, said: “I’m really pleased that the new companies are already doing so well and significantly above expectations. Coventry City centre is undergoing real improvements and this is further really positive news.”
Phil Morris, of EJ Hales – agents on the scheme, said: “This is a long-term project aimed at revitalising Skydome and the fact that names such as Harvester and PureGym are here and have started so well is very positive.
“That will help in attracting further investment to the Skydome and to make this a venue that attracts a broader range of customers than ever before.”