25 September 2019
After only weeks on the market, the sale of the city centre’s long-established Brucciani’s café and bakery premises has been formally completed.
Negotiated by leading Leicestershire commercial property specialist Andrew + Ashwell, the sales followed high interest and multiple viewings of the Fox Lane and Church Gate premises after the business closed in May.
A pioneer of café culture, Brucciani’s unique brand of friendly cafes and takeaways had been familiar ports of call for generations of shoppers for over 80 years and included five city branches during the early 1980s. News of the closure sparked a wave of nostalgia among regulars who had visited over the decades for coffee, sandwiches, cakes and the iconic ice cream sodas.
Brucciani’s Fox Lane premises off Humberstone Gate, opposite The Haymarket shopping centre, is a traditional three-storey Georgian building, comprising over £3,500 sq ft, while the purpose-built Church Gate premises is in a prime location close to Highcross shopping centre.
Changes in shopping and leisure habits ultimately led to the difficult decision to close an enterprise long predating many of the chain coffee shops currently occupying centre premises. Owner Tom Brucciani said he had been very sad to close cafes that had been hugely popular and unique to Leicester.
“Against a backdrop of a weak demand in the retail sector, I have been delighted with the services of Andrew + Ashwell, who successfully marketed and achieved the sale of our two city centre properties in a very short space of time, achieving the asking prices in both cases.
“The quality and location of the buildings has been well highlighted by the marketing materials produced, including 360 degree photography. While the high profile of Brucciani’s within Leicester has helped garner interest, A+A has nonetheless invited enquiries from a wide range of potential purchasers, distilling these into serious bidders and then handling the negotiations professionally, carefully and sensitively. I heartily recommend their services.”
Kelvin Wilson, for Andrew + Ashwell said:
“From marketing launch both buildings saw encouraging levels of interest and after competitive bidding, we are were delighted that both premises came under offer within only a matter of weeks.
“It is very encouraging to see the levels of appetite currently within the local market and given the roots of these buildings, we are hopeful that both premises will continue to trade as independently run eateries with the Brucciani legacy in mind.”