York: Plans for a Hard Rock Cafe in city centre abandoned

A Hard Rock Cafe was set to open in Coney Street in York city centre

Plans for a Hard Rock Cafe in York's Coney Street have been abandoned.

The international restaurant chain was set to open a branch in an empty shop previously occupied by TK Maxx.

North Star Developments had submitted a planning application for the venue, as well as a 64-bed hotel, to the City of York Council last year.

The firm did not give a reason for the firm's decision to opt out of the Coney Street plans.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the plans would have included a restaurant, shop, bar and coffee shop area, as well as the hotel.

It would have created 100 jobs at the Hard Rock Cafe and 10 more at the hotel.

Despite pulling out of the plans, the company said it was still interested in York as a location.

The new restaurant would have been in a building previously occupied by TK Maxx

A statement read: "Hard Rock International will unfortunately not be opening a Hard Rock Café with business entity North Star Rocks Limited at 48 Coney Street.

"However, York remains an important market for Hard Rock International, and there is a vested interest in opening an outlet in York."

David Skaith, chair of York High Street Forum, praised the city for "still attracting businesses of all sizes".

"Hard Rock has pulled out of Coney Street but it's a testament to the city of York that they are going to be looking at an alternative venue here," he said.

"York is an incredibly desirable place, a city where businesses want to operate."

He said York had constantly had "lower levels of empty units compared to the national average".