The city centre could soon have a new Greek eatery at a former gift shop.
Restaurant chain Sizzled would be coming to Cornmarket in Oxford if approved by the council.
Owners Med Grill Investments have submitted a planning application to the city council for new signs at 37 Cornmarket Street, the site of a former tourism shop selling Harry Potter toys and other items.
The arrival of Sizzled next to Itsu will give the street a lift as it is currently suffering from a number of empty units showing no real sign of being filled.
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To date Sizzled has been operating restaurants at shopping centres - Bluewater in Kent, Lakeside in Essex, and Merry Hill in the west Midlands.
Sizzled in Oxford could be run as a restaurant over three floors.
The Sizzled website says: "We firmly believe there’s no greater way to experience the best of the Mediterranean than with healthy, wholesome ingredients, simply grilled, served with love and complemented with the greatness of hospitality.
"At Sizzled we’re obsessed with the joy of simple, tasty dishes, grilled and served in the Mediterranean way. It’s not just about a list of healthy ingredients.
"It’s an entire way of life, centuries old. To eat like a Mediterranean, you enjoy the ritual, personal connection of sharing food."
The website adds that the food is sourced from suppliers in Greece.
It says: "Our tender skewers of lightly seared meat, soft fluffy pitta bread, mouthwatering halloumi and crunchy salads are a cut above in taste and quality.
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"Our menu takes the best of the Greek grill with our own Sizzled twist, adapting traditional recipes.
"You’ll enjoy gluten-free meat, a greater range of vegetarian and vegan options and exciting dips and sauces."
The chain started out in 2013 when the owner took over a franchise restaurant at Merry Hill Shopping Centre, and managed to turn it into a profitable business within the first year of operation and double its turnover in three years.
The website added: "The key to this achievement was the customer-driven service, adapting the Mediterranean philosophy of communication and personal connection when offering food, trying to respond to customers’ needs and overcome products’ limitations."
In 2014 another franchised restaurant opened at Lakeside Shopping Centre and in 2018 the restaurant at Bluewater Shopping Centre followed.
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London-based chain The Real Greek was linked with the former Jamie's Italian in George Street but it was understood the company decided not to go ahead with the move.
Fans of Greek-style food enjoyed eating at The Souvlaki Brothers in the Covered Market until it shut in November last year. It had originally opened in 2018.
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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
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