A PROMINENT city centre unit which has stood empty for nearly two years will be brought back to life when an artisan bakery moves in.

Bradford Bakery, which opened its doors in Rawson Place back in 2016, is due to breathe a new lease of life into the former KFC unit in the former Brown Muff & Co department store on Tyrrel Street.

The fast food restaurant moved out of the space in December 2016, following the opening of a new outlet in the Broadway shopping centre.

At the time, a spokesperson said the long-standing branch had closed permanently for “commercial reasons”, but staff had transferred to the new KFC in the Broadway’s food court.

Now, the bakery is due to make its mark on the unit in the coming months, with exciting plans afoot for the space.

Terence Igbokwe, who runs Bradford Bakery, said the old location at the top of town initially looked promising, but a lack of footfall, affected by factors including the closure of the Morrisons supermarket on Westgate, meant the bakery had lost clients.

He added: "My research was showing that people get a half-an-hour lunch break - walking up to the top of town to get what they want to eat and going back to the office, it's going to be a rush.

"The kind of thing we offer is something people want to enjoy, not to rush, it's not a takeaway or fast food or things like that, so they need an environment to sit down and enjoy it.

"We started to look at a way of coming closer to our clients.We saw this place at the bottom of town and we think it's just the right spot for us."

The bakery plans to develop the unit's upper floor further down the line and has revealed plans to branch out into a restaurant and wine bar, to offer a new place where people can go on weekends or after work.

Mr Igbokwe said: "The initial business we have been doing, which is artisan baking and running the cafe, is going to be immediate, the other ones will follow suit.

"We hope we can get it up and running for the end of November, because we are eager for the Christmas trade."

It's hoped the new Bradford Bakery will help to keep people in the city and, in turn, the city will benefit.

"We've been out of Bradford, places like Leeds, beyond West Yorkshire, we've been to Manchester and we've seen what is happening in these cities and it's people staying back in the city to enjoy what the city has got to offer," said Mr Igbokwe.

He added: "Sit tight and enjoy what you've been enjoying in the past, but on a much more pronounced platform."

Four new job vacancies have been mapped thanks to the move, with more expected in the future. It marks another addition to the city centre.

Others due to open in the coming weeks and months include the Pizza Loco pizzeria in Sunbridgewells, Pizza Express in The Light complex, EYES Brewing in the former Bradford Brewery building at the top of town, The Rabbit Hole on Westgate, in the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, as well as the Drum Winder and Ye Old Crown on Ivegate.