Boo-tiful’ burger deal for ALB in Derby

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 16 October 2022

UPDATED: 18 October 2022

Property firm ALB Group has cooked up a deal for trendy burger chain Boo to launch a new restaurant in Derby city centre.

The property deal, involving the lease of the former Burton menswear store on the corner of Victoria Street and St Peter’s Street, will see the fast-growing burger business open its doors to the Derby public in December or January.

The 2,000 sq ft prime retail space is one of several buildings in Derby that ALB purchased earlier this year as part of a long-term plan to breathe new life into the struggling city centre.

Boo expects to begin a large-scale £500k fit-out of the premises in November and will create around 30 full and part-time jobs in readiness for opening.

Arran Bailey, managing director of Nottingham-based ALB Group, said:

“Boo is exactly the type of business that will help to drive our vision for revitalising Derby city centre.

“The former Burton store commands a prime location in Derby – which makes it perfect for a brand that prides itself on cooking prime Angus beef!”

ALB Group also purchased seven vacant buildings in nearby Albion Street and East Street, which have now all been let to a variety of businesses, including urban axe throwing venue Hatchet Harry’s, The Barista Lab and lifestyle fitness boutique Pace.

Arran said:

“By encouraging new, niche and progressive businesses into the city centre, with more favourable lease terms than most landlords provide, we are well on the way to helping Derby’s high street out of a very challenging period.”    

Boo launched its first restaurant in Leicester city centre in 2017 after the founding partners spent years exploring what was on offer in burger joints around the world.

The team behind Boo realised people were changing their approach to fast food and believed they could improve on the food, the ambience and the price that was typically on offer.

Boo has gone on to open a flagship 2,500 sq ft unit in Fosse Park, Leicester, as well as stores in Loughborough and Nottingham. In addition to Derby, further stores are soon due to open in Manchester, Preston, Birmingham, Abu Dhabi and another in Leicester, either as franchises or centrally run restaurants.

The simple menu, stemming from the company’s prime Angus beef burger, uses locally sourced ingredients where possible and is all freshly prepared on site, supported by Boo’s own butchery business.

Mohammed Suleman, director and co-founder of Boo, said:

“We saw the regeneration underway in Derby, such as the former Debenhams site nearby, and understood what Arran and his team at ALB were bringing to the city centre. It made Derby the perfect fit for us.

“Our new premises in Derby is in a beautiful building, and we strongly believe that what Boo has to offer will really help to encourage more footfall to that end of Derby city centre, where trade has suffered of late, partly due to the Derbion shopping centre.

“We provide something different – freshly prepared, high quality food and drinks at an affordable price point and in a fantastic setting – and we’re confident it will appeal to the people of Derby.”

Mohammed added:

“ALB was extremely positive about our brand and very straightforward to work with. We’re keeping a close eye on further opportunities that Arran and his team come up with in other towns and cities.”

ALB has been busy snapping up retail buildings in struggling town and city centres around the UK over the past couple of years. Its plan to transform the Bridlesmith Gate area of Nottingham with the vibe London’s Carnaby Street and the colour of Copenhagen has received huge praise. 

Meanwhile, the company is spearheading other transformations following its acquisitions in places including Ipswich, Huddersfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Birkenhead and Sheffield. 

The opening hours of Boo’s new Derby restaurant are yet to be confirmed, though it is likely to serve breakfast from around 8am or 9am, followed by burgers, fries, coffee and shakes right through to 10 or 11pm. 

 

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