Subway set to boost town centre (From Thurrock Gazette)

Subway set to boost town centre

8:00am Saturday 4th August 2012 in News

AN empty shop in Grays town centre looks set to be transformed into a Subway restaurant.

The former Just Kids Hair shop, in the High Street, was advertised for let by agency GVA, for £35,000 per year.

Since then, fast food chain Subway has submitted a planning application to Thurrock Council to put up a new fascia and sign at the unit, which was a Bonmarche clothes shop before becoming a hairdressers.

Subway had yet to respond the Gazette’s request for a comment as we went to press.

The chain announced plans in January to increase its number of stores in the UK and Ireland to 2,000 over the next few years, creating 6,000 new jobs. There are currently 1,423 stores in the UK and 99 stores in Ireland.

Globally there are more than 36,000 stores in 98 countries, which are all independently owned and operated by franchisees.

The plans are a boost for Grays town centre, where Thurrock Council is looking to limit the number of empty shops and spend £200,000 regenerating it.

Part of the plans to boost trade is the Grays Loyalty Card Scheme, which has gone from strength to strength since its launch in June.

The latest business to sign up to the scheme, which offers cardholders various discounts in Grays stores, is Grays Blinds, which is offering 20 per cent off on vertical, roller and venetian blinds.

Nikki Kaur, franchisee of the Specsavers branch in Grays, and a co-sponsor of the Grays Loyalty Card, is delighted with its success.

She said: “As one of the distribution points for the Grays Loyalty Card, we have people coming in every day specifically asking for a card, and are seeing new customers because of it.”

You can pick up a card from locations all over the borough, including libraries, the Beehive Centre, Thameside Theatre, Specsavers and Supercuts.

For a list of discounts, visit www.my-loyalty-card.com/grays