By Nic Marco
Councillors are hoping new bars and restaurants coming to Sunderland, such as The Botanist, will provide a boost to the city centre and increase footfall.
It came as Sunderland City Council chiefs estimated it will be “around Easter” when The Botanist opens in one of the four large units on the ground floor of the new Holiday Inn in Keel Square.
Conservative Councillor Usman Ali, Ryhope ward representative, said bringing in such new bars and restaurants, along with the likes of Rio Steakhouse, will attract people to come into the city centre.
He said: “We’ve got to get people to come into our city centre through the restaurants, because that game’s on the up.
“I think when The Botanist opens there’s just going to be lots of people coming, that’s something that will attract a lot of people from Washington or people that wouldn’t venture into the city centre.
“These are things that I think are going to have a massive impact on the city centre in the long term.”
He also asked officers for any update on when The Botanist would be opening in the city.
Stephen Savage, council assistant director of regulatory services, said: “The Botanist we’re hoping for around about Easter opening, it’s just been fitted out.
“Things are happening, it’s just everything has been slowed down with covid, staffing availability, the finance, everybody is constantly looking at the interest rates etc, etc.”
Clli Ali added along with current restaurants such as My Delhi, and other planned sites such as Rio Steakhouse, announced earlier this year, people will be attracted to come into the city centre.
He said: “Those are going to bring people from the other sides of the city and a lot of people into our city centre from other areas.
“As long as you’re bringing in brands like The Botanist, once you get them in and get people coming there, other brands will come.
“Once we start getting them coming to the restaurants, which I think are on the up at the moment, the restaurants can really drive footfall into the city centre I feel.”
Image: Sunderland Labour
Labour’s Councillor Michael Mordey praised the city for how far it has come over the past decade.
He added: “I don’t think that it’s going to take us another 12 years to take another significant step forward.”
The comments all came as part of discussions at the latest meeting of the City Council’s economic prosperity scrutiny committee on Tuesday, 8 November
