The former Austin Reed shop in Birmingham's Colmore Business District is set to become the latest to house a new city centre restaurant.

Property consultancy CBRE has been appointed to find an operator for the prominent unit in Temple Row which housed the high-end fashion chain until its recent collapse and closure.

Any new restaurant operator would be thrust into a fierce battle to win customers as the business district's dining out sector has experienced rapid growth in recent years, not least of all in the area around Temple Row and neighbouring Waterloo Street (see grid below).

Last week, the Post reported that Somerset House in Temple Street was to undergo a renovation programme to create two restaurant units while companies such as The Botanist, Viva Brazil and Cosy Club have all recently chosen to launch in Birmingham city centre.

The former Austin Reed store, at 67 Temple Row, is 3,518 sq ft and sits alongside Luis Vuitton which is unaffected by this redevelopment, first mooted last year.

Stelios Demetriou, associate director in the retail agency team at CBRE in Birmingham, said: "The whole area around Temple Row and the wider Colmore Business District has come alive with new bars and restaurants, so much so that this part of the city centre, traditionally known as the main business district, is reinventing itself as the prime leisure destination in the city.

"Operators have been quick to spot the opportunity and lettings on vacant space have been brisk while other landlords have looked to capitalise on the restaurant boom by changing the use of their properties from shops or offices.

"67 Temple Row is a prime example and would be a great location for a new restaurant."