ITSU set to open first shopping centre site in the north at Trafford Centre

itsu, the Asian-inspired health[ier] restaurant brand with over 80 locations across the UK, has announced it is set to open its first shopping centre site in the North at iconic retail and leisure destination, Trafford Centre.

Set to open in Autumn 2024, the new Trafford Centre location will take over a 2,900 square foot location on Upper Regent Crescent.

The restaurant will offer itsu’s trademark fresh Asian-inspired nutritious food, including sushi, salads, wraps, soups and more.

Making for a user-friendly experience, the new restaurant will include digital ordering screens, allowing for the customisation of hot dishes and instant access to nutritional and allergen information. Customers will be able to dine-in on bespoke elm wood tables, as well as having the opportunity to take-away.

The Trafford Centre site will be itsu’s third in the North and play into its wider business objective of increasing accessibility to healthy, affordable and delicious meals. Through the opening of the new Trafford Centre restaurant, itsu aims to spread its values of health and happiness to the local Manchester community, alongside tourists, by offering high quality, nutritious food that is 40 percent plant based and full of fresh produce.

Having launched its sustainability and social impact programme in 2023, Trafford Centre’s ESG commitments align with itsu’s approach to sustainability. The restaurant brand consciously works towards a more sustainable future through eco-friendly packaging, implementation of energy-efficient practices and recycling for customers. Helping to eliminate food waste, itsu will also be offering half-price sushi 30 minutes before closing each day.

Kitty Vaughan, Head of UK Leisure and F&B Leasing at Pradera Lateral, says: “There is a real appetite for fresh and healthy produce in the UK market currently, with elevated brand’s such as itsu expanding at an impressive rate. As such, itsu is a positive addition to our food and beverage offering at Trafford Centre, as we continue to offer our visitors a versatile range of food options.”

Catrin Williams, Head of Marketing at itsu, commented: “We’re thrilled to be opening our second site in Manchester. We chose the Trafford Centre as it’s an ideal location for our brand-new restaurant due to its prominent position as a world-renowned shopping centre with significant footfall and excellent transport links throughout the North. We can’t wait to open, and prepare delicious, health[ier], affordable dishes to even more Manchester residents and visitors.”