Exeter Giggling Squid restaurant opening could still be months away

A new Thai restaurant is coming to a tourist hotspot in Exeter this year. Plans were agreed last summer but there could still be months left to wait until it opens.

In May 2023, plans for a branch of Giggling Squid to open on the Cathedral Green were unveiled. A couple of months later, the Thai chain was granted permission to alter the shopfront facing the Cathedral and provide outdoor seating.

Part of the planning application also included dividing the premises into two, with Giggling Squid to occupy the Cathedral side and another retailer to occupy the High Street side. Initial plans were that the retailer would continue to be Waterstones, who already occupied the site but the branch was closed in January. Waterstones did not specify a reason for the closure but redirected customers to their other Exeter store opposite John Lewis.

The application had been made by Chokdee Ltd, who trade under the Giggling Squid name. Drawings of the proposed new restaurant showed signage for the Thai restaurant chain.

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Giggling Squid was first opened in 2002 in Brighton by Andy and Pranee Laurillard and now has nearly 50 restaurants across the UK, with more still to come. The Exeter restaurant will be the chain's first ever branch in Devon.

The menu features a range of classic Thai dishes, including curries, noodles, stir fries, as well as Thai tapas available at lunchtimes. On their website, Andy and Pranee say they wanted to "bring the true Thai mealtime buzz to the UK."

While plans have had approval for nearly 10 months and activity has been seen around the site, the new restaurant could still be a long way off. Giggling Squid told DevonLive an opening date is still yet to be set and could be as late as the end of the year. There is currently a job vacancy being advertised online for an assistant manager of the new Exeter restaurant with an annual salary of up to £37,000.