Member Article

centre:mk secures Vietnamese street food restaurant, Pho

Pho, the Vietnamese street food group, is set to open in centre:mk, one of the top 10 retail and leisure destinations in the UK. The 4,133sq ft restaurant will seat approximately 100 customers and promises to be a unique and vibrant space, perfect for relaxed and informal dining for a broad range of visitors to the centre.

Pho was founded in 2005 by husband and wife, Stephen and Juliette Wall, after they returned from travelling Vietnam, and is known for serving great value, healthy Vietnamese food, prepared from scratch each day – with no central kitchen. Pho also caters for all, with 98% of the menu being gluten free and accredited by Coeliac UK. In addition, 40% of the menu is vegan. Families and younger diners are welcomed, with a delicious and affordable children’s menu.

Pho’s menu is centred around aromatic, fresh flavours. Dishes include, phở noodle soup, the iconic Vietnamese national dish, aromatic curries, rice bowls, and wok-fried rice and noodles. A range of appetisers and light salads will also be on offer, including homemade spring rolls, served with their famous peanut sauce for dipping. The menu will also feature over ten different freshly prepared juices, homemade lemonade with a spicy twist, classic Vietnamese coffee and beers.

The signing follows a strong first half of the year for centre:mk, with total sales and footfall across the destination up by 5.7% and 10.7% respectively, compared to 2022. April proved a standout month in terms of footfall, with an impressive increase of 11.2% vs 2022, outperforming UK and Southeast benchmarks.

Kevin Duffy, Centre Director at centre:mk, commented: “The signing of Pho is an exciting moment for centre:mk, as our commitment to providing the centre’s visitors with an F&B line-up of authentic, high-quality, and affordable operators. Consistently outperforming UK and regional benchmarks, our footfall and sales figures are just two of the many reasons that brands select centre:mk as locations in their portfolios, and Pho’s decision to open with us cements centre:mk as one of the UK’s top 10 retail and leisure destinations.”

Stephen Wall, Co-Founder at Pho, added: “We’re really happy to be opening in Milton Keynes as we’ve been looking for the right opportunity for some time, and this location in centre:mk couldn’t be better. We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome the centre’s visitors and showcase the brilliant food of Vietnam”.

The signing follows the news that specialist coffee chain, Black Sheep Coffee, has signed for a 1,637 sq ft unit on centre:mk’s Sunset Walk, set to bring its all-day concept to Milton Keynes for the first time. Both Pho and Black Sheep Coffee will join popular healthy fast-food restaurant, itsu, which opened its latest location in late 2022.

MMX Retail and CBRE acted for centre:mk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Thornton .