From luxury hotels to famous brands, exciting new arrivals are on the way across Kent in the coming years.
Here are some of the big names looking to invest near you…
Tunbridge Wells
A luxury hotel company plans to open its second site in Kent in a Grade I listed estate near Tunbridge Wells.
The Pig announced it was coming to Groombridge Place last year.
The new hotel, called The Pig at Groombridge, is to have more than 40 rooms, all overlooking the moat, gardens and vineyards.
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In 2019, The Pig at Bridge, near Canterbury, was the regional winner of The Sunday Times’ Best Place to Stay and was ranked fourth in the UK’s 50 Best Boutique Hotels last November.
The Tunbridge Wells site is due to open in 2025, subject to approval.
Canterbury
A “neglected” building on Canterbury’s high street that was once home to Burton and Dorothy Perkins could be turned into a restaurant loved by the rich and famous.
Bosses of The Ivy – famous for attracting celebrities such as Kate Moss, David Beckham and Tom Cruise to their London venues – plan to transform the entire site, on the corner of Rose Lane and The Parade, into a high-end restaurant.
The ground floor will host most of the proposed 140 indoor seats, along with 32 outdoor covers on The Parade and Rose Lane, with a kitchen and private dining area on the first floor.
The new venue has now also received permission from Canterbury City Council to open from 8am to 12.30am seven days a week, with alcohol served from 10am to midnight.
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Swale
Swale welcomes a range of shops and restaurants.
Work is nearing completion on a new multi-million dollar Aldi in Queenborough, Sheppey, but its opening date has been pushed back.
Plans for the supermarket were given the green light by Swale Council’s planning committee in December 2022.
The discount giant is spending £9 million to build a branch in Neats Court and construction work began last year.
The German company revealed last autumn that the store would open this April – but that was delayed.
Screwfix, which is also coming to the Isle of Sheppey, is due to open a new store later this year.
Elsewhere in the district, a Burger King franchise has been earmarked to open at a gas station.
Plans to move the fast food giant into the new building are part of BP’s larger redevelopment in St Paul’s Street, near Sittingbourne Retail Park.
Ashford
A fourth McDonald’s is set to head to Ashford after controversial plans were approved in April – despite fears of increased traffic at one of the town’s busiest roundabouts.
The new drive-through restaurant will be built along Chart Road next to the notoriously congested ‘tank roundabout’ and will be accessed from Bridge Road.
It will join three other city restaurants in Eureka Park, High Street and Orbital Park – the latter being the busiest drive in Europe.
It is not yet known when the restaurant will be open to the public, but diggers and materials have been spotted at the site.
Dover
Dover is about to open its fourth Costa cafe.
The grounds were cleared and the warehouse buildings demolished to make way for a new branch on the A20, Snargate Street.
Planning permission has already been issued for the new location and it is expected to open by the end of the year.
Other Costa stores are in the city center on Biggin Street, a dedicated unit at St James’ Retail and Leisure Park and another also at this site inside the Next clothing and homewares store.
In addition, The Roman Painted House in New Street will reopen in the town after £70,000 was put forward for repairs.
The historical monument, which is more than 1824 years old, is closed from September 2022.
Folkestone and Hythe
Further development is coming to the thriving town of Folkestone, where an Aldi supermarket and two drive-thru restaurants are to rise on the site of a former drinks factory.
Revised plans to transform the 11-acre former Silver Spring Mineral Water Company site at the city’s Park Farm industrial park have been approved.
Landowner Channex Project Management Ltd, which acquired the land from previous developers Ravensbourne Investments, changed the plans in 2022 to include a mix of retail, food and business units.
The developers have now made further improvements and the plans were approved by Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) last month.
A historic landmark will also reopen in the town as the Leas Lift undergoes a major refurbishment.
Built in 1885, the cable car transported passengers between the promenade and the waterfront for more than 100 years.
The attraction was forced to shut down seven years ago due to problems with the braking system.
It is now due to reopen in 2025 after a £6.6 million refurbishment.
Thanet
A new £3.5m ‘family entertainment hub’ is coming to Thanet this summer at a major shopping complex.
Work continues on the Hollywood Bowl complex at Westwood Cross Shopping Center and will bring 22 ten-pin bowling lanes, attractions – including Mario Kart and air hockey – and an American-style bar and restaurant.
The Broadstairs site, located in a former Debenhams store, will also feature four “luxury VIP lanes” for bowling fans.
Originally due to open in autumn 2023, its opening has been delayed but bosses now say it will open in “early August”.
A trampoline and inflatable park is also set to open at Westwood Cross shopping center this year.
Jump Inc. will also bring its newest location to the former Debenhams unit.
The site will be the company’s first branch in Kent, which the company says will be the largest of its kind in the UK.
The exact opening date is not yet known.
Dartford
Construction has now begun on a multi-million pound holiday estate in Dartford.
Stone Recreation Ground in London Road is set to be transformed with a £4.3m makeover.
The park’s new look will see upgrades including a new, larger cafe, outdoor performance space and improved landscaping.
Funding for the project comes from the parish council, which has committed £650,000 upfront and is contributing a further £1.25m from future Community Infrastructure Charges income, while Dartford Council is paying £2.55m.
It is expected to open to the public in spring 2025.
Maidstone
Costa Coffee lovers will soon be able to pick up their favorite drink from a new drive-thru in Maidstone.
Gallagher Properties Limited was granted permission to build a Costa Coffee drive-thru on the Eclipse Park estate near M&S last month.
Elsewhere in the city, WH Smith has announced the return of another Toys R Us store.
The high street retailer has revealed a further 17 branches the toy store will launch over the summer – including in Maidstone.
Tonbridge and Malling
Sainsbury’s is in line for a £20m expansion into a former department store in Tonbridge.
The supermarket at the Angel Center is set to expand, filling what was Beales, which has been vacant since 2020.
Work on the expansion is set to begin as soon as possible and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2025.
Another supermarket coming to Tonbridge High Street is a new Morrisons store.
The Morrisons Daily will take retail space on the ground floor of The Nave development.
The 2,900-square-foot store will mark a return to grocery use for the building, which originally opened as International Stores in the 1970s.
It is not yet known when it will open.
Gravesham
One of Gravesham’s biggest new attractions is the Hatch Markets.
Street food vendors, bars, games and entertainment are part of the operator’s revival of Gravesend’s historic market.
Owner Jamie Clark has previously said they hope to attract a variety of street food vendors and shops such as a deli, bakery or selling wine or craft beer.
Even the current grocers remained.
Hatch Markets opened to the public late last month.
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks seems to be the exception to the rule, with no new big name stores planned to enter the area in the near future.
A spokesman for Sevenoaks Borough Council said: “We have no firm information about new retailers or restaurants coming to Sevenoaks in the short to medium term.
“It’s partly because we have one of the lowest vacancy rates in the entire country.”