Plans submitted for new gym at business park
Plans have been submitted for a new 24-hour gym in a disused unit at a retail park in Kent.
The Gym Group has submitted a planning application to take over a building at Kingstanding Business Park in Tunbridge Wells.
"The unit is currently vacant and was formally occupied as a retail unit by a carpet store," the fitness firm writes in planning documents.
A total of 15 full-time jobs are set to be created at the new fitness centre.
The company said it "aims to increase access to health and fitness activities to a wider demographic to encourage and improve health and wellbeing by providing a low-cost option".
Kent towns including Strood, Gillingham and Ashford already have their own Gym Group venues and there are more than 240 in the UK.
Councillor Victoria Jones, who represents the area on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said: "As the business park takes shape over the next year or so, having a centre for fitness and wellbeing right on its doorstep and accessible to residents in Knights' Park is a positive development."
A retail park has been on site for decades but has undergone expansion in recent years, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Historic manor house to reopen as hotel and spa
Council awards £100k in community support grants
Primark to open shop in Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Costco brings back viral Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches
Richmond's Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches are back at Costco. Why it matters: When Costco stores added them last year, they sold out in one weekend. Driving the news: Nightingale spokesperson Molly Szkotak tells Axios that "we're in a much better position this time around" regarding inventory planning — so no empty shelves yet. That means you can still get an 18-pack of their new Strawberry Shortcake flavor, which is strawberry ice cream filling held together by two brown sugar cookies. They're sold bite-sized and exclusively at Costco for $19.99. Caveat: The sandwiches, voted the best grocery store ice cream sandwich ever by this month, are available only in Virginia and East Coast states north of us. The intrigue: When a Costco influencer (yes, they exist!) partnered with Nightingale to post about the new sandwiches, it became her most viewed Instagram video — ever. Nearly a million people have watched it, and the comments are flooded with people nationwide (we're talking Texas, California, Georgia, etc.) asking for the sandwiches to come to their Costcos, too. Pro tip: If you don't have a Costco membership, there are Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches in essentially every store in the Richmond area.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How much did Drake make on the Dave's Hot Chicken deal?
Like Toronto rapper Drake, the founders of Dave's Hot Chicken started from the bottom. This month, they may have all cashed in together. On June 2, the high flying chicken chain, which counts the music superstar as an investor, sold a 70 per cent majority interest to private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal that reportedly valued Dave's at US$1 billion (the deal's exact terms weren't disclosed). Atlanta-based Roark is known for its portfolio of major restaurant brands including Subway, Arby's, Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robbins and Buffalo Wild Wings, among others. The sale capped a dramatic rise in the fortunes of childhood friends Arman Oganesyan, Dave Kopushyan, Tommy Rubenyan and Gary Rubenyan, who pooled US$900 together in 2017 to start a pop-up selling Nashville-style chicken out of a parking lot in Los Angeles. After six months of hour-long lineups thanks to word of mouth and social media buzz, the company started slinging its tenders, sliders, fries and kale slaw out of its first bricks-and-mortar store in an East Hollywood strip mall. Eight years later, franchising has helped Dave's Hot Chicken grow exponentially into 315 store locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Along the way, the chicken chain has benefited from a cult following and a troop of celebrity investors including Drake, who bought his minority stake in 2021. There's no doubt Drake's hype and social media buzz — the rapper has 142 million Instagram followers — has played a part in Dave's Hot Chicken's meteoric ascent. For the last three years, the superstar has celebrated his birthday on Oct. 24 by sponsoring a free chicken giveaway at Dave's Hot Chicken locations in Toronto. The latest valuation also marks a big jump from Dave's Hot Chicken's first deal in 2019, when the four co-founders sold a 50 per cent stake in the business for $2 million to a group of investors led by Bill Phelps, who became the company's chief executive, and movie producer John Davis. The investor group included such celebrities as actor Samuel L. Jackson, journalist Maria Shriver, television host and former NFL player Michael Strahan and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. The four co-founders reportedly split the remaining 50 per cent stake. At the time of the Roark Capital deal, Forbes reported that Phelps and Davis were the company's largest shareholders with 'roughly equal stakes' (though both declined to reveal exactly how much they owned). Each of the four co-founders owned around 10 per cent of the business and sold 80 per cent of their stakes, netting a cool US$80 million each (before taxes), according to Forbes. So, how much did Champagne Papi make off of the deal? Bloomberg reported that Drake was among the company's biggest investors when he bought his minority stake in 2021, but his exact ownership percentage and how much he paid for it has never been disclosed. If the founders owned a combined 40 per cent (10 per cent each) before the deal and Phelps and Davis were the biggest shareholders with roughly equal stakes, Drake would have to own less than 20 per cent of the chicken chain, with the likely total being much lower than that. With each percentage point worth a cool US$10 million, even a five per cent stake would be worth US$50 million. The Financial Post reached out to Dave's Hot Chicken for comment about whether Drake sold any of his shares as part of the deal, but did not receive a response. Dave's is not Drake's first foray into the food world, but it appears to be his most successful restaurant investment to date. The rapper has opened two Toronto eateries in the last decade: Frings, a venture with chef Susur Lee and his sons that opened in 2015 and closed three years later, and Pick 6ix, a sports bar that opened in early 2018 and closed by the end of 2019. 'I tried the food and it was amazing': Drake buys stake in Dave's Hot Chicken chain Tim Hortons partners with actor Ryan Reynolds on breakfast boxes The rapper has also reportedly invested in green tea retailer MatchaBar and plant-based chicken company Daring Foods Inc. (the same year he bought his stake in Dave's) and collaborated with U.S. entrepreneur Brent Hocking to launch his own whiskey brand (Virginia Black) and champagne (Mod Sélection). • Email: jswitzer@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Eater
5 hours ago
- Eater
A Bagel Shop Bows Out of Manhattan After Over a Decade
Skip to main content Current eater city: New York After 11 years, Baz Bagel, located at 181 Grand Street, at Mulberry Street, in Little Italy, is bowing out. An announcement went up on Instagram this week: The last day is June 22. Owner Bari Musacchio confirmed the news to Eater, adding that she had previously lived above the restaurant, but after 20 years in the neighborhood, she had moved on and it felt like a 'natural time' to do the same with her business. She has passed the keys to an uptown bagel operator, to be announced soon. 'We knew bagels would continue to thrive on Grand Street, so finding the right operator was key — especially one that could keep our amazing staff on board,' she says. 'We're incredibly proud that our small neighborhood shop made its way into some of NYC's biggest moments — whether it was serving the Knicks, Liberty, Rangers, being part of WWHL, Fleet Week, or collaborating on so many iconic events over the years.' Williamsburg's Titi's Empanadas opens today, Friday, June 13, in the East Village at 130 E. Seventh Street, near Avenue A, EVGrieve reports. Owners Jesus Villalobos and Nate Ramm — related to the family behind the Venezuelan restaurants Cachapas y Mas — have expanded to a location that includes lunch, dinner, and weekend late night. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The menu lists empanadas as well as a $29 empanada flight; sandwiches like chopped cheese and cachapas; desserts, juices, and baked goods, as well as coffee drinks, beer, and wine. A soufflé shop, Fluffy Fluffy, has opened in the East Village at 153 First Avenue, at East 10th Street. The shop already has U.S. locations in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, and Georgia, where it offers drinks like matcha mango lattes, soufflés in flavors such as cookies and cream or crème brûlée, croissant-waffle mash-up sandwiches, and more.
