Upmarket fast food chain Pret a Manger has opened a new outlet at the heart of Birmingham’s office district on Colmore Row.

The company refurbished the 2,500 sq ft unit, which was formerly an HSBC bank, and it opened its doors last week.

Pret a Manger has taken a ten-year lease on the unit at a rental of £110,000 per annum, in a deal arranged on behalf of the landlord, Climate Change Capital, by leading real estate company Cushman & Wakefield.

Rob Alston, retail partner at Cushman & Wakefield: “It’s a reasonably high profile letting in the offices quarter of Birmingham.

“This part of the city centre has been growing in retail terms during the past two or three years, with the likes of Waitrose and Costa opening branches there.

“Pret a Manger obviously view the location as fitting in with their vision, which is to operate in slightly more affluent areas. They have some 335 shops worldwide, but most are in London, and in Birmingham they only have outlets in Cherry Street and in New Street presently.”

The new outlet is something of a rarity for Pret a Manger, which focuses mainly on London and only has two other branches in Birmingham.