GOURMET burger restaurant Byron is set to open in Worcester after becoming the first business to snap up a unit in the soon-to-be refurbished Cathedral Plaza.

The London-based restaurant has been signed up by Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund (SHOF), which owns the mall, for a 4,392 sq ft restaurant.

Nick Webb, of Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund said they were delighted to sign up the restaurant which also has locations in Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol.

He said: “We are targeting good quality restaurant and retail businesses new to Worcester, to increase shopper dwell time, and to compliment existing retailers.

"With 36 restaurants in London, Byron is expanding across the regions and we are delighted to have signed this exciting operator for its first restaurant in the West Midlands.”

The news has also been welcomed by councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcester City Council’s cabinet member for Economic Prosperity.

“It is great to see that the Cathedral Square project has secured its first new restaurant and Worcester City Council is looking forward to playing its part in the delivery of the new square, which is exactly the type of investment our city centre needs.

"The new square has long been a City Council ambition and we are pleased to be working with Salmon and the County Council to bring this exciting development forward.”

Having secured planning permission for the redevelopment of Cathedral Plaza in August, work will start on site in the second quarter of 2015, with the retail and leisure scheme programmed to open in 2016.

The redevelopment plans will create 100 new jobs provide new shop units, a gym and restaurant units.

A new public square will be developed jointly with the county and city councils and will be located on the site of an existing roundabout between Deansgate and College Street.

SHOF are now rebranding it as Cathedral Square and are in talks with a number of operators about the remaining restaurant and retail units.