A RESTAURANT chain boasting “fine food in a casual dining atmosphere” could be the latest addition to a shopping centre’s cafe quarter.

Bill’s Restaurants, serving British favourites ranging from steaks to duck pie and fish classics, currently has eateries in cities such as London, Cambridge, Bath and Brighton, and now wants to move into Worcester’s CrownGate.

The group says it hopes to add to the “vitality and viability” of Worcester city centre by moving into a vacant unit previously occupied by toy shop the Entertainer before its move to the Shambles.

The application comes as ‘luxury’ coffee shop Coffee Dough, known as CODO, opened its doors in the nearby ‘glass pavilion’ yesterday.

Should permission be granted, Bill’s would further add to CrownGate’s cafe scene with Carluccio’s next door, House opposite and fellow newcomer the Green Room also a stone’s throw away in the centre’s open courtyard area.

Bill’s menu covers meals for all times of the day, from breakfast to dinner, including afternoon tea.

CLM Planning, acting on behalf of Bill’s, says in its planning documents that the restaurant would “compliment the mixed uses in CrownGate”.

“The proposed outdoor seating would be contained under the glass canopy and would be a similar arrangement to the outdoor seating permitted at Carluccio’s,” said CLM.

It says the plan would bring into use a vacant plot and “contribute to the attraction of Chapel Walk by improving the restaurant choice in the town centre”.

“(It would) contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre,” said CLM.

“The proposed changes to the appearance of the building are modest in extent and would be in keeping with the contemporary feel of the shopping centre.”

A decision on whether the application can go ahead should be made by the end of December.

Bosses at CODO, meanwhile, say customers will be offered a unique drinking experience at the shop, which is largely a take-out venue but provides seating for 16 customers inside and 20 outside.

Worcester businessmen Ilir Fazliu, Adam Edney and Steve Sosna are behind the project.

“We’re excited to be a part of the growing food offering in CrownGate,” said Mr Edney. We are not your typical coffee shop, it’s a luxury environment and we want to pass that luxury on to the customer.”