// Boxpark has hired a property director as it presses ahead with expansion plans
// Simon Bishop has over 25 years of experience in leisure acquisitions
Boxpark has drafted in a property director in a bid to bolster the business’ expansion plans for the next five years.
The retail and leisure park group has hired Simon Bishop, who has over 25 years of experience in leisure acquisitions for restaurants, pubs, hotels, and casinos.
Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, Boxpark had revealed plans to launch 10 new sites over the next five years in major UK cities.
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Bishop will be tasked with creating a programme of rolling acquisitions, focusing on potential site locations in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
He will also be responsible for sourcing potential sites for Boxpark’s original concept, as well as two new concepts; BoxOffice – the larger of the two developments, will be designed to incorporate co-working spaces into new Boxpark sites, and BoxHall – smaller 10,000 to 20,000sq ft destinations that will each feature between six to 12 street food traders.
Boxpark was set to announce record profits and a private equity deal before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“Despite closing our sites for over 12 weeks, we’ve tried to maintain a positive outlook by realising our key strengths as a business and future prospects,” Boxpark founder and chief executive Roger Wade said.
“Luckily for us, we’ve had a great bounce back; since reopening our site footfall and like-for-like sales have surpassed our expectations, but there’s no time to stand still.
“I believe opportunities arise from every situation, and we are delighted to bring Simon on board to identify the best options for our new site concepts, so that we can continue to deliver fantastic sites and experiences.
“We are more focused than ever on our growth strategy and we think Simon holds the perfect skill set and experience to help us reach our ambitions.”
Bishop said: “It’s an exciting time to join Boxpark as it makes a strong comeback following the pandemic. My experience in the hospitality and leisure sectors lends itself well to Boxpark’s expansion plans and there are loads of opportunities ahead for us.”
“I think Boxpark is a brilliant brand with huge potential – over the last decade, it has continued to evolve fearlessly and is now one of the biggest food and entertainment hubs in London.
“I’m looking forward to delivering sites over the next years and playing my role in bringing the Boxpark vision to life.”
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