Bella Italia restaurant to open as part of St James's development

Bella Italia is to open its first restaurant in Kent at Dover's £60 million St James's retail and leisure development. Casual Dining Group, operator of some of the UK's favourite restaurant brands, has signed a pre-let agreement on a 3,751 sq. ft. restaurant that will form part of the St James's development in the heart of Dover town centre.

Bella Italia has 90 restaurants nationwide, first opening in the early 1990s to cater for the burgeoning demand for Italian cuisine. The brand has been successfully positioned by the Casual Dining Group as the premier all-day Italian trattoria.

The Casual Dining Group has plans to open 70 new restaurants and create 3,100 new jobs over the next three years across its Café Rouge and Bella Italia formats.

The St James's development is set to transform the leisure and retail offer in Dover, with a six screen Cineworld cinema, 108-bed Travelodge hotel, 16,000 sq. ft. M&S Simply Food store, along with 10 further retail units and six restaurant/cafe units.

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council, said: "It's great news that Bella Italia has chosen Dover as the location for their first restaurant in Kent. This is another strong indication of investor confidence in the town."

Clive Lynton, development director for developers, Bond City, said: "We're delighted to have Bella Italia join us at St James's. Their great quality, all-day dining experience is the perfect match for our mixed-use development with its town centre location, high footfall, and broad range of tenants."