British Pub coming to Peninsula Town Center

Hampton, Va. – An authentic British pub, featuring food, drink and atmosphere reminiscent of the United Kingdom’s great evening and after work establishments, comes to Hampton’s spectacular Peninsula Town Center this summer.

The Pub, opening early September 2009, will be the 11th in a chain that started in Cincinnati in 2001 and the second in Virginia.  The other is in Fredericksburg.

The menu at The Pub will combine the finest aspects of traditional British pub fare, such as fish and chips, Sheppard’s pie, and bangers & mash, as well as more “complicated” dishes like goat cheese dip, seared ahi satay, and whiskey cracked pepper steak. All menu items can be expertly paired with an assortment of the finest scotches and beers, including a wide range of English, Scottish, and Irish draught as well as cask-conditioned brews and domestics.

The award-winning exterior of The Pub is modeled after the classic corner pubs of London.  All of the furniture and most of the accessories in fact are purchased in England to guarantee their authentic look and feel.  The centerpiece is a stunning wraparound bar handcrafted in the United Kingdom.  The Peninsula Town Center location will occupy 6900 square feet of space.

“It’s a very authentic British Pub,” says Barbara Ritzman, Marketing Director for AHK Pub Investments, the franchisee that owns the Fredericksburg and Hampton restaurants and has plans to open more in the mid-Atlantic. “Patrons will be able to join friends on two great patios, one featuring a fire pit.”

The Pub will be located on Kilgore Avenue at Peninsula Town Center, facing Coliseum Drive and adjacent to Barnes and Noble.  Hiring for approximately 75 employees will begin in July.

In mid-August, PTC will welcome Chipotle Mexican Grill and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.   Denver-based Chipotle has 800 locations, including one in Virginia Beach. The restaurant features made-to-order tacos, burritos, burrito bowls and salads and uses fresh ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, land and farmers.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened its first restaurant in Arlington, Virginia in 1986 and has since expanded to 436 locations nationwide.  The Peninsula Town Center outlet will be its sixth in Hampton Roads, but just second on the Peninsula (the other is in Williamsburg).  Five Guys uses fresh, never frozen, ground beef and offers 250,000 possible ways to order a burger.

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About Peninsula Town Center: Peninsula Town Center is opening in phases.  Macy’s, JC Penney, Barnes & Noble and Outback Steakhouse are currently serving customers, and The Chapman apartments have been filling quickly since opening in May. Lenscrafters opened June 12, and Target arrives in late July with several restaurants and specialty stores slated to follow this summer.  The remaining fashion and specialty stores are expected to open in spring 2010. For more information, visit: www.peninsulatowncenter.com.