AN incredible UK pyramid is set to be completely transformed and turned into a “dream” curry house.
The steel-framed pyramid in Stockport, Greater Manchester, is set to become an Indian restaurant that could serve 1,500 people at a time.
The structure, built on the edge of the town in 1992, was occupied by a Co-operative Bank until 2017.
But now, UK restaurant group Royal Nawaab is set to turn the site into an enormous “lavish” dining venue.
A spokesman for the company said customers could look forward to “a level of luxury and uniqueness never before witnessed”.
The ground floor is set to become a 360-seat buffet restaurant with a banquet hall.
Up to 680 people could also be served on the first floor, Stockport Council planners were told.
The floors above are then set to receive smaller restaurant rooms, an office, and storage spaces.
The Royal Nawaab group runs 11 restaurants across Europe and said it expects to create about 100 full-time jobs and about the same number of part-time roles.
Mahboob Hussain, founder of the Royal Nawaab said the chain was “thrilled” to bring its brand to an “iconic symbol of Stockport”.
He described the opportunity as a “dream come true” and feels it would attract visitors from all over the UK.
Meanwhile Stockport councillor Colin Macalister said the pyramid revamp was a “strong vote of confidence in Stockport’s future”.
Earlier this year, the pyramid inspired a single called The Great Pyramid of Stockport by Manchester spoken word musician Antony Szmierek.
The area, which has come to be known as Kings Valley, had a number of other pyramids originally planned for construction.
Stockport Council planning committee member Mark Jones described the pyramid as “one of the most iconic buildings in Stockport“.
The structure, visible from the M60, has been abandoned since 2018 but the owners hope it will finally open in the first three months of 2025.
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
