Smoothie factory titanic quarter
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Global franchise set to open flagship store in Titanic Quarter

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3rd May 2022

Global franchise set to open flagship store in Titanic Quarter

One of the world’s most exciting and fastest growing juice bar brands, Smoothie Factory, has confirmed it will open its first UK and Ireland store in the heart of Belfast’s vibrant Titanic Quarter.

The American juice bar franchise, known for its innovative, delicious and healthy products, has signed a lease agreement to open a flagship store at the ARC Retail, Titanic Quarter.

Established in 1996 by US Olympic athlete James Villasana, Smoothie Factory is much more than a juice bar, serving a wide range of products including 100% real fruit smoothies, cold pressed juices, salads, sandwiches, superfood bowls, coffee and gelato; perfect for breakfast, lunch and evening meal.

With more than 120 stores in 20 countries, the decision by Smoothie Factory to locate a flagship store at ARC Retail represents a significant endorsement of both Titanic Quarter and of Belfast.

The ARC is home to over 1,000 residents and adjacent to the SSE Arena, Citi, Belfast Met, Titanic Studios and the world leading tourist attraction, Titanic Belfast. The annual visitor numbers to Titanic Quarter are in excess of 3.6 million, while 20,000 people already live, work, visit or stay in the area on a daily basis. Major development projects are currently under construction within Titanic Quarter, such as the latest 146k sq. ft. Grade A office development, Olympic House – continually increasing the number of people in this flourishing district.

James Eyre, Commercial Director at Titanic Quarter Ltd, said:

“We are delighted to welcome such an exciting global brand to the ARC and wish Smoothie Factory every success with their new flagship store. Smoothie Factory joins an eclectic mix of eateries, cafes and convenience retail already thriving in Titanic Quarter and enhances the food and drinks offering to our growing number of visitors, residents, workers and students.

Andrew McQueen, Managing Director of Smoothie Factory - UK and Ireland, said:

“We are so excited to open our flagship store here in Belfast and look forward to working closely with local suppliers to establish our brand in the UK and Ireland. Titanic Quarter is the perfect location with the thousands of people who live, work, visit and stay every day here, and we can’t wait to start welcoming guests through our doors this summer.”

CBRE NI acted for Titanic Quarter Ltd in the letting.

Photo caption: James Eyre, Commercial Director, Titanic Quarter and Andrew McQueen, Managing Director, Smoothie Factory UK & Ireland, toast the news that Smoothie Factory will open its first UK and Ireland store in Titanic Quarter.

Titanic Quarter

Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is one of Europe’s largest urban-waterfront regeneration projects.

Master-planned over 185 acres on the site where RMS Titanic was designed and built, Titanic Quarter is redefining what it means to work, live, visit and stay in central Belfast. In just over a decade of development Titanic Quarter has evolved into a world class tourism destination, an educational and media campus, a residential community, accommodating high quality Grade A offices and premium retail outlets.

Titanic Quarter offers a location that has sufficient space and advanced I.T. infrastructure to maximise productivity benefits for the highly competitive, high value added international financial, innovation and business services. Citi’s Gateway Offices, located at the entrance to Titanic Quarter, emerged as a symbol of growth of international financial services in Belfast. Olympic House, currently under construction, is the next Grade A office development in Titanic Quarter, which on completion, will accommodate over 1,500 jobs in a BREEAM excellent, state of the art office environment. Further Grade A office developments are planned for Titanic Quarter.

Titanic Quarter attracts global investors growing and extending their international operations. With over 100 national and international organisations, occupants include Citi, Catalyst, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and SAP. University of Ulster, Queens University Belfast and Belfast Met are also already established in Titanic Quarter.

Titanic Quarter’s Abercorn Residential Complex of 474 high quality apartment homes is located in the centre of a lively urban community with retail units on the ground floor that include a Spar convenience store, Subway and independent coffee shops, representing the modern face of Belfast.

Existing Titanic Quarter hotels include the Titanic Hotel Belfast (120 rooms) which opened in 2017 in the former Harland & Wolff Headquarters Building and Drawing Offices and the Premier Inn Titanic Quarter (121 rooms). Construction of the Hamilton Dock Hotel, a 274-bedroom family focussed hotel adjacent to SS Nomadic and Titanic Belfast, will commence in 2022 further strengthening Belfast’s business, conferencing, leisure and heritage tourism growth.

Attracting millions of visitors annually to experience Titanic heritage, Titanic Quarter has acquired the status as a premier global destination for leisure and business tourism – contributing to Lonely Planet naming Belfast as the best place to visit in 2018. Since 2012 the now iconic landmark Titanic Belfast has attracted over 6.5 million visitors across 145 countries, earning it the prestigious accolade of World’s Leading Visitor Attraction 2016 – World Travel Awards as well as Ireland’s first ever 5 star graded visitor experience. Other heritage attractions within Titanic Quarter include SS Nomadic, HMS Caroline, Thompson Dry Dock, The Great Light, Titanic Walkway and Titanic Slipways – which have been established as one of Belfast’s most sought after outdoor venues hosting events for MTV, BBC and the Giro d’Italia. The Titanic Exhibition Centre hosts major conference, sporting and lifestyle events with attendances of up to 20,000 per event.

Titanic Quarter in Numbers

  • £610 million invested to date
  • 12,000 jobs
  • £286m per annum in wages
  • 1.5 million sq ft completed
  • 3 million sq ft with planning permission
  • 20,000 people live, work, visit and stay in Titanic Quarter daily
  • 3.6m visitors per annum
  • 1,000 residents
  • Over 100 national and international organisations including Citi, Amazon, Microsoft,
    IBM, SAP, Belfast Metropolitan College, Catalyst Inc, Ulster University and
    Queen’s University Belfast already established in Titanic Quarter
  • Europe’s fastest direct fibre-optic links to North America
  • 5 minute drive to George Best Belfast City Airport and direct access to motorways