Restaurants and cafés in Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre are reporting record trading levels as visitor numbers hit 1.6 million in the opening week.
Catering operators in the month-old space-age complex are enjoying massive increases on trading forecasts. Chicken chain Nando's said its store had exceeded opening targets by 40%, while the café chain, Druckers, said it had been trading at twice the anticipated levels.
Debenhams' 160-seat family restaurant and 60-seat caf‚ venue has also exceeded forecasts by 50%. Peter Barrett, director of food services, said: "I am delighted with our performance."
The Bullring Birmingham is Europe's largest retail regeneration project this decade. It is tipped to take second place in the UK's national ranking of shopping destinations.