Smashburger, a leading US burger restaurant chain, has opted to open its first restaurant in Scotland at the Sauchiehall Building, 165 Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. The building, which was formerly known as the Sauchiehall Centre, was acquired by KKR and Quadrant Estates in March 2015 and is the subject of major refurbishment plans.

Smashburger has taken a 15 year lease on Unit 23 on the eastern corner of the Sauchiehall Building which will extend to a 4,000 sq ft contemporary restaurant upon completion of the refurbishment works.  The new 160-cover restaurant, which will serve handcrafted, smashed-to-order, fresh burgers, is due to open for business at the end of the year.  The restaurant is currently recruiting around 40 staff for the new venture.

Smashburger is the latest high profile tenant to sign at the Sauchiehall Building.  In May 2016, Sports Direct.com, the sports retail giant, opened a new store extending to over 13,000 sq ft on the lower ground floor of the Sauchiehall Building.  Smashburger will also sit alongside Primark, TK Maxx, WH Smith and Superdrug in the prime stretch of Sauchiehall Street, opposite Marks & Spencer, Boots and Argos. These tenants benefit from an annual footfall of almost 17 million created by the adjacent office core, leisure circuit and critical mass of large format anchor retailers in the pitch.

Christopher Daniel, founding partner of Quadrant Estates, the asset managers of the Sauchiehall Building, said:  “Smashburger is a fantastic addition to the Sauchiehall Building’s line-up of leading leisure and retail brands and further highlights the attractiveness of the pitch.  We are also in discussions with a number of restaurant operators who have expressed interest in the first floor of the western corner of the Building, whilst the ground floor is now under offer to another exciting brand.

Our aim is to improve the vitality and viability of Sauchiehall Street and we are confident that our ongoing enhancements of the Sauchiehall Building will create an exciting and vibrant leisure hub, helping to attract greater footfall, and put Sauchiehall Street firmly on the map as a top retail and leisure destination.”

Tim Lowther, MD of Smashburger, added: "Having first launched in the UK with our opening in Milton Keynes, we’re very happy to now have our first Scottish restaurant site confirmed. The Sauchiehall Building is perfect and we’re excited to be working alongside so many other fantastic retail brands.  Smashburger will be in very good company."

The Sauchiehall area is set to see further improvement following the opening of two new hotels, namely the adjacent Hampton by Hilton on Bath Street and the Dakota Deluxe on West Regent Street. Furthermore, the location is set to increase its offering to tourists following the proposed redevelopment of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Willow Tea Rooms and the proposed re-opening of the McLellan Art Galleries.

The recent developments at the Sauchiehall Building and its immediate environs demonstrate Sauchiehall Street’s underlying fundamental strengths – including the highest and most stable footfall in the city and its proximity to the Central Business District, transport hubs, cultural attractions, hotels, educational institutions and student accommodation – which ensure that the pitch remains highly attractive to major national leisure and retail operators.

Paradigm Property Consultants and Montagu Evans advised KKR and Quadrant Estates.  Smash Burger was represented by Cushman and Wakefield.