Boxpark appoints Property Director to boost development plans

Boxpark has appointed Simon Bishop as Property Director to help drive the company’s development plans forward.

The retail and leisure park group reportedly hired Bishop due to his vast experience, with over 25 years in leisure acquisitions for restaurants, pubs, hotels, and casinos.

Boxpark currently has three London locations in Shoreditch, Croydon and Wembley.

Last year the company announced plans to open another 10 sites over the next five years. The company has since clarified that it remains focused on its growth strategy, despite the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

As part of his job role, Bishop will create a programme of acquisitions, with a focus on potential sites for operation including Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and Cardiff.

Boxpark was due to announce record profits and a private equity deal before COVID-19 hit.

With the Prime Minister is urging people to return to the workplace this month in an attempt to boost the economy, Boxpark has introduced dedicated workspaces at its Croydon and Wembley venues as part of its new "Eat. Drink. Play." Work offer.

Boxpark Founder and Chief Executive Roger Wade, said: "Despite closing our sites for over 12 weeks, we’ve tried to maintain a positive outlook by realising our key strengths as a business and future prospects. Luckily for us, we’ve had a great bounce back; since reopening our site footfall and like-for-like sales have surpassed our expectations, but there’s no time to stand still.

“I believe opportunities arise from every situation, and we are delighted to bring Simon on board to identify the best options for our new site concepts, so that we can continue to deliver fantastic sites and experiences.

“We are more focused than ever on our growth strategy and we think Simon holds the perfect skill set and experience to help us reach our ambitions.”

Simon Bishop added: “It’s an exciting time to join Boxpark as it makes a strong comeback following the pandemic. I think Boxpark is a brilliant brand with huge potential – over the last decade, it has continued to evolve fearlessly and is now one of the biggest food and entertainment hubs in London.

"I’m looking forward to delivering sites over the next years and playing my role in bringing the Boxpark vision to life."