Restaurant chain named as Tower Lounge tenant

How the revamped Tower Lounge building could look

A 15-year lease has been agreed with restaurant company Boparan Ventures Ltd, the parent company of fish and chip chain Harry Ramsden’s, which already has a restaurant on the Promenade.

However the 300-cover eaterie will not be another Harry Ramsden’s but will be the first outlet of a new chain of “dining experiences”.

A report to councillors says: “Boparan Ventures Ltd are going to redevelop the former Tower Lounge as a new flagship restaurant.”

Coun Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for business and economic development, said: “This decision is an administrative measure the council must go through to formalise our agreement with Boparan Ventures, in partnership with Merlin Entertainments, to create a new restaurant within The Blackpool Tower complex.

“I can also confirm, in what is a real coup for Blackpool and for the Tower, that the venture will see the first in a new chain of restaurants open up in Blackpool.

“To have such a large national company wanting to launch a chain in Blackpool shows just how well the town is doing as a destination and we look forward to the company announcing more specific details in their own time.”

Earlier this month planning permission was granted for the revamp of the Tower Lounge which closed last November.

Around 120 jobs will be created as part of the project, as well as a public bar, outdoor seating area and a stand-alone kiosk to transform the venue at the base of the Tower.

Blackpool Council is borrowing £400,000 to pay for the upgrade of the venue which was previously a popular nightclub.

Merlin, which operates the Tower on behalf of the council, has said it is vital to have a family friendly offering inside the landmark.

Manchester-based CDS-Wilman, which has designed the scheme, says it wants to “capture the spirit of Blackpool within the restaurant environment to ensure it delivers the customers with a richer and more authentic experience.”