Capital & Regional, the specialist retail property company, has confirmed it has signed a deal with popular retro restaurant brand, Ed's Easy Diner, at The Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Redditch. The occupier has taken 4,000 sq ft on a 15 year lease and will open later in the summer. This latest deal is testament to the appeal of the shopping centre which has benefited from significant investment.

Ed's Easy Diner has now almost 10,000 sq ft across Capital &Regional's shopping centre portfolio, with a presence in Luton, Blackburn and now in Redditch.

Capital & Regional and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (Oaktree) have invested £4.5 m in the refurbishment and repositioning of The Kingfisher Shopping Centre since they formed a joint venture partnership to purchase the 920,000 sq ft scheme in 2012. Since then, Capital & Regional has successfully created a night-time economy and transformed the centre's catering and leisure offer by establishing a dedicated 35,000 sq ft leisure quarter, dubbed the 'Hub', This has enabled brands such as Pure Gym, Nandos, Tinseltown, Chopstix, Real China and a Vue cinema to trade in the centre.

Alongside its plans to enhance The Kingfisher's restaurant and leisure offering, Capital & Regional has progressed significant plans to improve the scheme's retail mix. Worcester Square has been given
an extensive facelift, with a bold, modern décor and Evesham Walk has been transformed with contemporary, double storey shop fronts.

In addition to Ed's Easy Diner, which will join the Evesham walk lineup, the refurbishment has also attracted brands such as Swarovski, Equivalenza, Roman Originals, Yours and fashion footwear retailer, tReds to the centre. Costa Coffee has also taken a second store in The Kingfisher, with a new mall café in the refurbished Worcester Square. 

Sian Bowen, Retail Asset Manager for Capital & Regional, commented: "We have driven forward a proactive and innovative asset management plan since we purchased The Kingfisher and have
successfully provided an environment for retailers and restaurants to trade well.

"We are delighted that Ed's Easy Diner has decided to come to Redditch. The brand complements our existing restaurants and will strengthen our wider retail mix." The Kingfisher is anchored by Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark and attracts over 10 million visitors a year. Capital & Regional purchased the West Midlands scheme in 2012, having formed a joint venture partnership with Oaktree. 

Jackson Criss and KLM are the leasing consultants.