The group, which last month made its debut in London, with a launch in Shoreditch, is to invest £1.1m in creating 150 splitlevel covers and a standalone bar with a late license on the former Stockton’s store in the city.
The fivestrong group, which plans to open 20 sites within five years, will join Wahaca at the scheme, with Busaba Eathai and Five Guys linked to the remaining units. Red’s will continue to work with design partners Russell Sage, who recently consulted on its flagship Shoreditch site.
James Douglas, co-founder of Red’s, said: “Liverpool is a complete natural choice for the brand. The opening will shore up our northern stronghold, and connect up our presence along the M62 corridor. The design of this site will be the brand’s bravest creative direction to date, and we’re excited to see what the people of Liverpool think.
“Our vision to bring true barbecue to the masses is well under way; it seems the public have an insatiable appetite. The UK-wide launch of Red’s authentic range of BBQ sauces and rubs into Asda is showing extremely strong sales, and our recipe book Let There Be Meat is already a Sunday Times bestseller. With further sites currently in legals for 2016 we’re firmly establishing the brand as a market leader within the rapidly growing barbecue category.”
In May, the company secured £5m of new investment from a group of leading industry players and retail entrepreneurs as it looks to accelerate its growth plans.
The equity investment deal for the then fourstrong brand featured a consortium comprising industry veteran and former chief executive and chairman at Wagamama Ian Neill; Jamie Barber, the founder of Cabana; Stephen Wall, the cofounder of Pho; Brandon Stephens, the founder of Tortilla; Maurice Abboudi, the founder of K10; Dom Lake, the founder of Canteen; and retail entrepreneurs Aarish Patel and Sunny Gill.