Global Food & Beverage Consultants 

MediaCityUK is a landmark 200-acre mixed-use development on the Manchester Ship Canal and one of the North of England’s most significant urban regeneration projects. THINK Hospitality were commissioned to support Peel Lifestyle Outlets and their architects, Chapman Taylor, in redefining the food, beverage and leisure strategy for the reinvigorated shopping centre at the heart of the development. As part of this transformation, the centre was rebranded to Quayside MediaCity.

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Our scope included a full review and assessment of the 45,514m² commercial footprint, analysing existing food, beverage and leisure operators, the competitive landscape and guest occasions to understand the potential demand across the destination. This work formed the foundation for a clear strategic direction that aligned with the broader vision for MediaCity’s evolution as a major regional hub for retail, leisure and entertainment.

We collaborated closely with the architectural team to masterplan the food, beverage and leisure components, shaping the positioning, tenant mix, zoning and space planning. This process leveraged THINK Hospitality’s customer and occasion modelling to ensure the strategy reflected real behavioural demand and created an integrated hospitality ecosystem suited to a modern mixed-use destination.

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The strategy contributed to the creation of two new food and beverage anchors at Quayside MediaCity: Central Bay, home to 11 destination restaurants and a 5,000 sq ft terrace, and Kargo Market, featuring 13 kitchens, pop-up events, indie market activity, live music and dedicated family spaces. Both launched in Summer 2023 as part of the reinvigorated leisure offer.