Top restaurant chains coming to Coventry's Arena Park

RESTAURANT chains Frankie and Bennys and Chiquito look set to open in Coventry later this year.

Around 60 to 80 jobs will be created near Arena Park, in the north of the city, where the stores are earmarked to be built.

A spokesman for The Restaurant Group, which owns both brands, labelled Coventry 'prime territory' for the American-Italian and Mexican restaurants.

He said the company was excited about the prospect of opening the stores before the end of 2013.

Bosses have earmarked a patch of undeveloped land - between the A444, railway line and Arena Park - off Classic Drive for the pair.

Planning restrictions for the one-acre plot made under the 2004 Ricoh Arena deal mean it cannot be built on but council chiefs will meet to lift that ban on Monday.

The move would open up the opportunity for planning permission to be submitted by firm chiefs.

Under their plans, a second plot of equal size across the A444 would be 'environmentally improved' to make up for the loss of open space.

The council would also earn an agreed percentage of profit coming from the development.

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