Reading round-up: Boom Battle Bar, TK Maxx and a big office deal

A Boom Battle Bar is set to open this Summer at the former Revolution bar in Station Road, Reading. The brand has not responded to our request for confirmation but a deal has been done by Hicks Baker and work has begun on the roof with fit-out due to get under way imminently.

Revolution (pictured above) closed in January 2024 and the site has been vacant since. As a Boom Battle Bar the 7,000 sq ft space will host shuffleboard, clay pigeon shooting, axe throwing, darts, table pong, pool and karaoke booths.

The fast-expanding brand has 30 bars in the UK and one in Dubai.

Fiona Brownfoot, retail director for Hicks Baker who did the deal, said: “We are hugely excited to bring this new competitive socialising brand to the town centre.”

TK Maxx has set an opening date of May 22 for its new store at The Oracle in Reading. The brand, which currently operates from the Broad Street Mall, has taken the lower mall section of the former House of Fraser. We await confirmation from TK Maxx but we are confident you can take our word for it!

A restaurant and a takeaway are planned for Reading town centre. The short-lived Chipstar at 3 Broad Street (second picture below) is set to be replaced by a House of Doner. The previous tenant, Dutch-themed business, opened in December 2021 at the unit, which is next to The Alehouse, but closed in the Summer of 2022. A pizza takeaway is planned for 7a The Village, formerly King’s Walk. Both have applied to the council to carry out works.

Thames Tap also understands the sale of one of Reading’s biggest office blocks is in the pipeline. M&G’s 220,000 sq ft, 3 Forbury Place (pictured bottom) has been on the market through CBRE for £45 million and now a deal is in the offing.

The 10-storey Grade A building, initially called One Reading Central when it opened 15 years ago, had secured significant lettings on opening including seven floors let to Yell.

Yell remains an occupier, although now using just one floor, with another sub-let to PwC. Other floors are occupied by PwC (prior to its imminent move to ONE Station Hill), Osborne Clarke, IQVIA, ConvaTec, Pegasystems, Coupa Software, BPP and Posh.

The building currently has just 12,323 sq ft vacant. M&G declined to comment.

Image (top): The vacant Revolution bar.

Images (below): TK Maxx, 3 Forbury Place and 3 Broad Street.