A contract catering group backed by the man who spearheaded the growth of Pizza Express and Patisserie Valerie is to launch a new café in the heart of the Colmore Business District.

The Genuine Dining Co., which is co-owned by serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson, will open the new venue called &More Coffee House on the ground floor of The Colmore Building next month.

AshbyCapital, which acquired the then Colmore Plaza for £140 million last summer, is currently carrying out a £3.5 million rebrand and revamp of the building in Colmore Circus Queensway which will also include a new gym, treatment rooms, bike parking and reception area.

A total of £500,000 is being invested in the development of &More Coffee House which is due to open on May 16.

The new café will cover 1,000 sq ft, create four jobs and sell hot and cold drinks, breakfast, lunch and snacks. There will also be an external seating terrace and iPad till system.

Mr Johnson was chairman of Pizza Express during the 1990s and led its flotation and growth.

He is also co-owner of Patisserie Holdings, the Birmingham-based company behind café brands Druckers and Patisserie Valerie and sandwich shop chain Philpotts, whose floatation on AIM in 2014 valued the company at £170 million.

CGI of the new gym which will open in The Colmore Building
CGI of the new gym which will open in The Colmore Building

AshbyCapital's chief executive Peter Ferrari said: "The &More Coffee House will provide an important new amenity, bringing new and different breakfast, lunch and drinks options and offering the perfect place for breakfast, an informal meeting or working lunch.

"We look forward to the café opening this spring, coinciding with the completion of our exciting wider enhancement programme at the building."

Chris Mitchell, director of The Genuine Dining Co., added: "We are extremely excited to be partnering with AshbyCapital to provide a modern, high street food offering at The Colmore Building.

"AshbyCapital felt that our mission of delivering great food, great service and having a load of fun in the process was most aligned with their strategic goals for the building.

"We are looking forward to working together to do just that."

Joint letting agencies on the building are Bilfinger GVA and JLL.