Arc Inspirations bubbles over with Northern expansion plans
“THE cream will rise to the top in the casual dining market,” said Martin Wolstencroft, the founder and managing director of Arc Inspirations, the company behind restaurant brands Banyan, The Pit and Manahatta, which is coming to Leeds’ Greek Street.
A consummate entrepreneur, Mr Wolstencroft is planning on doubling Arc’s portfolio in the next few years, with up to four openings a year planned.
The secret to success for Arc seems to be finding a formula for a restaurant that works and finding the perfect location fit for each brand.
Manahatta, inspired by New York food and culture made a perfect fit for Greek Street in the heart of Leeds’ financial district, said Mr Wolstencroft, and now Arc is investing £750,000 in the refurbishment of two of its Leeds area restaurants.
Napa in Roundhay and Kobe in Horsforth are being transformed into Banyans – a brand which recently moved into a prime city centre spot at Leeds’ City Square over the summer in a major coup for the firm which was up against major national operators for the space.
“It proves how serious we are and that as a company we can take on the best in the country,” said Mr Wolstencroft.
The former Napa has now reopened, and Kobe is due to launch as Banyan today. Together they have created an additional 20 jobs for the group, and the plan is to expand further, opening clusters of Arc sites within an hour and a half of Leeds.
“We’re trying to double our estate and we have chosen the sites because we pick and chose the best brand that we’ve got that will support that site the best,” said Mr Wolstencroft.
The North of England is Arc’s playground and the company has expanded over the Pennines opening Banyan in Manchester’s Corn Exchange, but back home, competition is getting fierce.
“It is crowded in Leeds, and not just here but everywhere. There has been massive growth for the last 2-3 years in the casual dining market which has driven up rents. What we’re seeing now is that its calming down, people are realising it isn’t as easy as they thought it would be to launch a new site,” said Mr Wolstencroft.
“Our restaurants are affordable and aspirational, and not many operators have done well moving over to Manchester from Leeds or vice versa so it makes us very proud as a business that we have,” he said.
