BBQ restaurant Red’s expands to open a third site

THE fast-growing smokehouse concept, Red’s True Barbecue, is expanding its restaurant presence in Leeds, creating 30 new jobs.
 
The company, which already has outlets in Leeds and Manchester, is opening a further site in Headingley.
 
Sited on Otley Road in the busy north Leeds suburb, the 1,300 sq ft restaurant is taking over the premises of the former Macy’s Grill.

Opening in July this year, the building is set to benefit from a £375,000 refit, and will feature 50 covers with potential for additional outdoor seating. 
 
The Headingley announcement comes just four weeks after the successful launch of its flagship 185-cover site in Manchester, taking the company’s portfolio of outlets to three.
 
Red’s, which is well-known for its authentic low and slow form of cooking, where cuts of pork, beef, chicken and sausage are dry rubbed in spices, and smoked in custom-built Oklahoman smokers for up to 23 hours, will be looking to replicate the success of its 107-cover Leeds city centre restaurant, which launched in September 2012.

The existing Leeds restaurant serves 17,000 customers each month, selling more than 16 tonnes of meat.  
 
James Douglas, co-founder of Red’s, said: “We’re delighted to be moving in to the heart of bustling Headingley, into such an incredible building with loads of history. We’ve always loved this area, and can’t think of a better place suited for Red’s, outside of the city centre.
 
“We’re fortunate enough that our first restaurant is still incredibly busy 18-months on; there’s a real taste for true barbecue in Leeds. Customers have often asked us to expand, so we’re excited that we can finally answer those prayers. Headingley has always had a great hub of independent restaurants and bars, and we believe that Red’s will compliment what’s already here, and help continue to build the local area’s reputation for a great day and night out.”
 
Scott Munro, co-founder of Red’s, said: “We invested heavily in Manchester to move the brand experience up a level, so we’re delighted that the same verve and appetite for authentic, great tasting barbecue exists over the other side of The Pennines. Our weekly combined trading is 40% above target, so we’re all stoked about the thought of Headingley coming online in a few months and bolstering this further.”