Work is underway to enhance the offering at a Southend garden centre, with a 90-seat restaurant being constructed to complement the existing retail offer at Scott’s of Southend garden centre near Rochford. Once completed, the restaurant is also expected to create 12 new jobs.
The business instructed business development and planning specialists Malcolm Scott Consultants (MSC) to design the restaurant seating and kitchen areas and to provide support with the sourcing of equipment and decoration.
MSC also provided expert advice in planning a strategy for opening in line with government guidelines, which included staff recruitment and menu planning.
Andrew Burton of MSC said: “We were very pleased to work alongside Scott Bird on the design and build for the restaurant. It will offer their customers a lovely, well ventilated and safe environment to eat in, whilst also supporting the business in creating a destination garden centre in line with the five-year strategy that we have built with Scott.”
Scott Bird, owner of the garden centre, added: “Despite 2020 unfortunately delaying the building and the opening of the restaurant, we aim to open once the government gives us the go ahead.
“We are creating a restaurant that is focused on our customers and with the retail offer we have in place already, I am confident that we have a large, safe garden centre with a great range of products that meets all our customer needs.
“The restaurant development also creates jobs in a hospitality industry that needs all our support,” he added.
Scott went on: “We have used MSC for a few years now and have developed an excellent working relationship with the team, who understand our culture, our commercial needs and know how to navigate these through the complex business development and planning system.”
Scott hopes that the restaurant will open for outdoor use in April and open fully on 17 May 2021 in line with the government’s roadmap.
