Five Guys planning second Liverpool opening

American burger chain Five Guys has plans to open a second eatery in Liverpool city centre.

The brand, which launched a Queen Square branch in the city towards the end of last year, has applied for planning permission to change the use of a vacant Bold Street retail space.

According to a planning document submitted to the local authority, permission has already been granted to change the basement and ground floor of the 17-19 Bold Street site into a restaurant and the company is now looking to change part of the first floor.

Under the plans, put forward by Pegasus Group on behalf of applicant Five Guys JV Limited, the change of use would allow seating for 84 covers at the restaurant, which would be open from 11am until 11pm each day.

The space, which is part of a five-storey unit occupied by office space above, has been vacant for 24 months and was previously used as additional retail space to support ground floor tenants.

Following the previous change of use permission for the ground floor and basement change of use, which was secured back in January, this latest application states: “As a consequence of the allowed appeal, the first floor of the unit is no longer suitable for retention as an A1 (retail) use, as it has no independent access or servicing. It is therefore currently unusable vacant space.

“Changing the use to class A3 (restaurant) serves to reconnect the basement and ground floors and the first floor, thus increasing the amount of usable floorspace within the building and therefore increasing the vitality and viability of the city centre.”

Five Guys, which was established in Virginia in 1986, also currently has North West restaurants in Manchester’s intu Trafford Centre and Ashton Under Lyne.