MORE than two-and-a-half years after Debenhams closed its doors in Worcester High Street the unit remains closed with no sign of a planned food hall opening in its place.
Artisan Food Hall was first confirmed to be taking over the site in April 2021 and was originally tipped to be a nine-month transformation project of the former Debenhams store which closed in January 2021.
But the company claimed work on the site had ground to a halt because the building owners had not made a final payment for the work.
In June the team behind the project told us it was confident that there will be some "clarity" regarding its future soon.
A spokesperson said: "Artisan Food Hall is positive that a resolution is close with the landlord and how to open soon."
The ambitious plans revealed a paradise for foodies and shoppers spread over four floors.
As well as the bar area, the ground floor was set to feature baristas, sushi, an Italian deli, a bakery and a variety of other food vendors.
The first floor was earmarked for Canteen Society with plans to open between Friday and Sunday and for pop-up chefs and creators to fill the space.
The second floor would feature a city garden once completed and a space that can be hired for events, weddings, parties, and gigs every weekend.
There was also set to be a secret door leading to the 'speakeasy'.
Shoppers were set to head for the basement which would feature Worcestershire vendors of items such as vinyl records, vintage clothing, and retro furniture.
In the summer of 2022 the firm's Instagram had even teased it was opening, captioning an image "It’s close folks", with pictures of an inside bar.
The account is still on the social media app, but has not posted anything since June 2022.
The branding of the food hall, which says "Coming soon" and "We can't wait to meet you" still remains on the outside of the building but there are no signs of any work going on.
We attempted to contact Artisan for an update on what the situation is, but did not receive a reply.
A separate food hall Artisan Food Hall ran in Hull closed suddenly with no notice in March.
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