Independent coffee shop to form new centrepiece as Waterside owners make £1m-plus investment

Work is now underway on the new addition, which will feature a serving counter and attractive, open plan seating area as a centrepiece for Waterside. The works are expected to be completed by mid-May, with the new coffee shop opening shortly after.

The outlet will be operated by Lincolnshire-based Seven Districts Coffee, which owns coffee shops in the Lincolnshire villages of Welton and Nettleham, and the successful CASK Kitchen restaurant in Lincoln.

The new coffee shop is part of a £1m-plus investment into Waterside by joint venture owners Wykeland Group and Lincolnshire Co-op, including the creation of a more attractive and welcoming frontage to the centre from High Street, and along the picturesque River Witham.

Two units on High Street have been acquired to form part of the centre, enabling improvement works to the frontage of the centre to take place. The changes will create a better pedestrian flow by the riverside to the lower ground floor and across the river into the Cornhill Quarter.

Contracts are now being concluded for an exciting premium national retailer to occupy one of the units. The letting will bring a significant new name to Waterside and to Lincoln.

Planning permission was granted recently for changes to the two newly-acquired units and the conversion of the upper floors into five apartments. These works will begin in the next few weeks.

The positive changes at Waterside also include a rebrand for the centre, creating a modern, youthful appearance and feel.

A new, modern design style and colour palette reflects the evolution of Waterside and is aimed at attracting new visitors to the centre and supporting the growth of Lincoln as a destination.

Wykeland Property Director, David Donkin, said: “Less than a year after acquiring Waterside with our partners Lincolnshire Co-op, we’re delighted to announce this significant investment into the centre.

“It’s a very strong statement of our confidence in Waterside as an important part of Lincoln city centre.

“We’re excited that work has begun on the new coffee shop and delighted that this will be operated by a local independent business with an excellent reputation.

“We’re also introducing new branding reflecting the positive changes at Waterside and making some key physical changes to improve the flow of people into and around the centre.

“We’ve been having some exciting discussions with both existing and new tenants, as we look to enhance Waterside’s offer to local people and visitors to Lincoln. We see a very bright future for Waterside and the businesses within it.”

Leading commercial development and investment business Wykeland Group and Lincolnshire Co-op acquired Waterside in a 50/50 partnership last June and the new investment is a major statement of confidence in the centre as a retail and leisure destination.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Head of Property, Kevin Kendall, said: “With our partners Wykeland, we have been working to revitalise the Waterside to make it even more of a key destination for visitors to the city centre.

“We’re excited to be bringing in Seven Districts, which we are sure will be valued by shoppers, and believe that our plans for the façade will make that part of the centre more open and attractive, contributing positively to the High Street and waterside street scene environment.”

Seven Districts Coffee takes its name from the seven areas which historically make up the county of Lincolnshire. The business was co-founded by Ellis Purvis and Ben Southall, whose shared passion for high-quality roasted coffee has seen the company go from strength to strength over the past five years.

Mr Southall said: “As a proud and established independent Lincolnshire business, we’re delighted to be at the heart of the exciting investment which is being made at Waterside.

“We already have a presence in Lincoln with CASK Kitchen and we’d been thinking about a new venue in the city centre for a while when this opportunity presented itself. We were impressed with Wykeland and the Co-op’s vision for Waterside and we think Seven Districts is a perfect fit for the centre.

“Alongside our popular range of coffees, we’ll also be serving a variety of grab and go food, including bagels and buddha bowls. We’re confident our seating area will create a new destination in the city centre and bring more visitors into Waterside.”

Waterside comprises of 130,000 sq ft of prime retail and leisure space, and is home to an impressive line-up of leading retailers including H&M, Next, New Look, Superdrug, O2, Office and Skechers.