A NEW chicken restaurant will be heading to join the likes of Wagamama and Nando’s in Southend after the bid was given the green light.

Wingstop, an American fast-food chain, has got the go ahead for its application for a restaurant in London Road, Southend, at the former TSB Bank site. 

The chain has proved a huge hit in America over the last decade, before becoming popular in London in the past three years.

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The Southend restaurant will be the first Wingstop in Essex.

Its arrival has been heralded as the latest step in creating a ‘restaurant quarter’ at the entrance to the High Street.

Ian Gilbert, councillor responsible for economic recovery and regeneration, said this is great news, and shows Southend is a place businesses are keen to invest in.

He said: “It is wonderful to see yet another high-profile restaurant looks set to open a venue in our city alongside the likes of Wagamama and Nando’s.

“This will create more jobs and another exciting place for residents and visitors to eat out and enjoy.  

“Seeing further investment into the High Street is a positive sign for the city.

“We are showing to be a place international businesses are keen to invest in, highlighting the exciting potential our city has.

“I am delighted to welcome Wingstop to Southend.”

The London Road area, at the top of the High Street, underwent an ambitious £4 million transformation earlier this year to modernise the gateway into Southend city centre.Wingstop would be just another big-name chain to join the likes of Nando’s, Wagamama, and Pizza Express in the area.

The plans will see new doors, which will be aluminium-framed with green pull handles, new illuminated signage, as well as a new black aluminium framed glazed shop front.

It will be in the former site of the bank which closed on June after an increase in customers making transactions online.

Reports on social media suggest the venue will open in the coming weeks.

The company was not available for comment.