The Oracle Riverside along the Kennet is a destination area for dining and drinking in the town centre.
It is understood that burger chain Five Guys is due to relocate to the riverside in the near future, taking over the unit vacated by the All Bar One cocktail bar, which closed in recent weeks.
The unit has a capacity of 170 covers, incorporating a ground floor and a basement area.
A proposed layout shows just the ground floor, with a total capacity of 84 covers, with 66 indoor seats and 18 outdoor seats.
The restaurant will feature a dedicated entrance for deliveries, an area for condiments, self-service drinks, and a beer display.
A proposed floorplan for the conversion of the former All Bar One unit at The Oracle Riverside, Reading. (Image: Black Sheep)
Five Guys currently occupies a dining area in the upper mall of The Oracle, with the American chain opening its second restaurant in the UK there back in 2013.
For the relocation to take place, a change of use application has been submitted to Reading Borough Council’s planning department.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/25/0713 into the council’s planning portal.
Five Guys has been ‘blacked out’ in the client box of the proposed layout submitted in the application. An earlier version of the document mentions the American burger chain.
Hammerson, the company that manages The Oracle, has been contacted for comment.
The Oracle Riverside has seen a wave of restaurant closures in the last two years.
The restaurants, cafes and eateries that shut down in Reading in 2023
Brands that have vacated the riverside since 2023 include Wok to Walk, Franco Manca, The Real Greek, Yo! Sushi TGI Fridays, Browns Brasserie and Bar, Starbucks, and most recently Gordon Ramsay Street Burger and All Bar One.
The Starbucks was taken over by the Creperie Doux Sourire last autumn, and noodle restaurant Marugame Udon opened in April 2023, taking over the Pizza Hut that closed in 2022.
Five Guys also has a plan to build a dine-in and drive-thru at the Showcase Cinema car park in Winnersh, with that project being approved by Wokingham Borough Council last autumn.
