New American-style restaurant could open at Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park

A NEW American chicken restaurant is hoping to become the latest business to open at Festival Leisure Park after submitting plans to Basildon Council.

Slim Chickens, an American restaurant chain, is hoping to replace the former Firejacks restaurant which closed in May last year.

The chain has dozens of restaurants across the UK, but if approved the Basildon site would be its first in Essex.

The plans for Slim Chickens come shortly after the council gave the green light for American burger chain Wendy’s, and Costa Coffee, to open on the car park at Festival Leisure Park.

David Kirkman, who is standing down as Labour councillor for the Fryerns ward at the upcoming May 2 elections, welcomed the plans.

He said: “It is always good for a food business to take interest in Basildon, whether that is at the Festival Leisure Park, or elsewhere in the borough.

“It has been empty for quite a while now, and with the closure of Unit 7, there are too many empty units, and so I am hoping life can be brought back into them.

“So, it will be good to see another variety of restaurant at the Festival Leisure Park.

“It does show that Festival Leisure continues to attract big names, with the restaurant footfall, people can visit the cinema too without having to go too far.”

Firejacks has remained vacant since closing last year after the Restaurant Group announced it was going to be closing around 18 sites in a bid to cut £5 million costs.

Earlier this year, Slim Chickens also submitted a planning application to Colchester Council asking for consent to install advertisement signage for a new restaurant at the developing Northern Gateway Leisure Park.

The Festival Leisure Park already boasts Pizza Hut, Frankie and Benny’s, Nando’s as well as a TGIs.