By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
Broxtowe Borough Council has secured two new businesses for its £14m Arc Cinema complex – which will bring more than 100 jobs to the area.
Councillor Milan Radulovic, leader of the council, had previously said he wanted the site to be “Beeston’s answer to Nottingham’s Cornerhouse”.
Now, two new businesses have come forward to occupy some of the empty units around the Arc Cinema, which opened last May.
This includes Italian restaurant Ottimo, which is due to open in the first week in April as well as bar, kitchen and games arcade The Beeston Social.
The Beeston Social will be run by the same company behind Nottingham’s Das Kino, The Blind Rabbit and The Hockley Arts Club.
It is due to open in early May and will take up 8,000 square feet of the site.
Daniel Ellis, director of Fletcher Gate Industries, which will run the Beeston Social said: “It’ll be somewhere to eat, drink and play, with something for all the family, whether that be stopping off on their way to watch a film, grabbing an after-dinner cocktail, or lazy Sundays exploring our food menu.”
The venue will also employ around 70 people.
Ottimo, an Italian restaurant from the team behind Nottingham venues Sans Patrie and Bar Sans Patrie is due to open its doors in the first week of April.
The centre-piece of the restaurant, which will focus on authentic Italian flavours, will be a large brick pizza oven.
Owner Ross Considine said: “It’s not going to be like your typical Italian chain restaurant. This will be really well-executed, authentic Italian food, served in relaxed but stylish surroundings.”
The venue will create 45 jobs.
The project is part of a wider £50m Beeston Square development scheme, which includes the building of 132 homes opposite the cinema site.
Cllr Radulovic said previously: “The cinema and social complex will be a major destination not an attraction.
“In Beeston, as you can see on market day, there are hundreds of people around but in the evening it drops off.
“We want to boost the night-time economy.
“We want to create a Cornerhouse there like in Nottingham. You will come to Beeston and not just go to the cinema but use the bars and restaurants and it will give a major lift to the town.”
There had been some delays in getting businesses into the site during the Covid pandemic.
He added: “There was a great deal of concern, but we were never in doubt about the final project.
“The only concern we had in the pandemic was attracting appropriate investors and these fears were allayed when leases were signed.
“Covid is one of the reasons (for the delay) but it is not the primary reason. It is signing leases and finance arrangements and sorting out labour materials.”
