An all-pink eatery serving ‘trapbox’ cuisine is one of two new restaurants planning to open in vacant units in Newcastle’s Eldon Square.
Licensing applications have been submitted for both the former Red’s True Barbecue and George’s Great British Kitchen sites in the city shopping centre.
The former Red’s unit, which closed at the beginning of 2020, looks set to be transformed into 202 Kitchen - a trapbox restaurant concept where almost everything is painted bright pink.
The restaurant has branches in Birmingham and Manchester, where it was hailed as the hottest Instagram spot in town with a Barbie box photo booth and even an imitation pink-doored mansion to pose for photos in front of.
The food is known as 'trapbox', different soul food dishes - mac 'n' cheese, waffles, fried chicken, burgers, and grilled seafood - piled into one box.
Trapbox is a relatively recent foodie concept to describe various food cooked usually by home chefs and piled into a box and then promoted over social media.
Now a licensing application for 202 Kitchen restaurant and bar has been submitted to Newcastle City Council.
Another licensing application has been lodged by Inn Trade Solutions for a cafe/restaurant in the nearby unit formerly used by George’s Great British Kitchen.
When 202 Kitchen opened in Birmingham in July last year, co-owner Leon Beckford told BirminghamLive : "I was inspired to open my own Trapbox kitchen after seeing the success of trending trapboxes.
"We're bringing this social media trend to life and making it a dining experience and creating a social media friendly atmosphere.
“A trapbox is a box full of cultural flavoured food and it's very popular for those in the know.
"There are Trapbox home chefs all over the UK. One of the most famous, Prince Owusu was featured on BBC 2 show Million Pound Menu in 2018 and now runs his own Trap Kitchen in Manchester.
"Generally Trapbox chefs such as the Trap Kitchen founder are untrained cooks showing off their food on social media and followers turning up to their home to buy it.”
The restaurant attracted some high profile fans, with the launch party attended by presenter Maya Jama.
A Trapbox meal at 202 Kitchen costs £18.50, with options including sweet chilli jam salmon, BBQ pork ribs, chilli garlic prawns and selections of chicken wings.
Red’s True Barbecue confirmed last January that it had permanently closed its restaurant in Eldon Square after its business rates were tripled.
But the smokehouse chain vowed to return to the city centre "in a slightly grungier setting" after saying "shopping centre locations are perhaps not best suited" to its "anti-brand" business.
British seaside-themed restaurant George’s Great British Kitchen closed during the first Covid-19 lockdown, but never reopened its Newcastle branch.
The company went into liquidation in February this year and was wound up, accruing estimated debts of more than £442,000.
George’s Great British Kitchen was the first eatery to open in Eldon Square’s Grey’s Quarter - a £25m dining development - in 2017.
Eldon Square was taken under new management last year after previous owner Intu went into administration and it was revealed in November that the Covid pandemic had wiped more than £50 million off the council's stake in the centre.
But the centre opened its doors to droves of customers in April, with general manager Andy Bradley hailing a "brand new beginning for retail".
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