Six kitchens, five bars and a live stage: the details confirmed about the 2,000-capacity food, drink and entertainment venue coming to Grand Arcade

STACK Wigan, the highly anticipated leisure, entertainment, and social community hub, has announced it will open its doors this November, and revealed its full street food line-up, including Wigan's own Tikka Bros.

Spanning a huge 48,000 sq ft and transforming the former Debenhams in Wigan's Grand Arcade, STACK Wigan will be a buzzing place to eat, drink and party, with room for more than 2,000 people.

Inside, six street food kitchens and five bars will keep things going from a morning pick-me-up through to last orders, alongside a coffee shop for daytime catch-ups, a pool table area and an outdoor terrace for sunnier days. Big screens will bring the biggest sporting matches to the crowd, while a live stage hosts music, performances and events throughout the week.

The opening will bring one of the town centre's biggest units back to life, creating around 140 jobs and giving Wigan a brand new day-to-night venue. It joins a growing STACK family that started in Newcastle in 2018 and now spans venues from Seaburn and Lincoln to Middlesbrough.

The six food traders confirmed for STACK Wigan have now been revealed, with Pattersons, Acropolis, ZZA Pizzeria, Tikka Bros, Smash House and Hello Oriental bringing everything from fried chicken and Greek gyros to stonebaked pizza, Indian street food, smash burgers and pan-Asian favourites.

Tikka Bros is a homegrown Wigan name, having opened its first outlet in the town centre before expanding to Southport Market. Bringing a second site to Wigan with STACK, the Indian street food brand will serve fresh, tandoor-cooked dishes from Tikka Flame Bites to its loaded Smash Samosa Street Bowl.

Born in Manchester and now also serving London, Smash House is bringing proper smash burgers to STACK Wigan. Using fresh, never-frozen British beef, its patties are smashed paper-thin on a hot griddle for crispy, lacy edges and served on toasted seeded brioche, from the classic Double Cheese to the Truffled, topped with truffle mayo.

Born and battered in Liverpool, Pattersons is one of the North West's best-known independent food brands, and STACK will be its first home in Wigan. Its fried chicken recipe was developed with Michelin-starred chef Max Gnoyke, and the famed Exorcist sauce is on hand for those who think they can handle the heat.

Hello Oriental is coming to Wigan from Manchester, and bringing bold flavours from across East and South East Asia, drawing on the food of China, Japan, Korea and beyond. At STACK, expect Chinese roasts, dim sum, bao and noodles, with fish-shaped taiyaki waffles for dessert.

Bringing flavours worthy of the Greek Gods, award-winning Acropolis has been a STACK staple since the OG Newcastle site. Expect chicken gyros in fluffy Greek pitta with homemade tzatziki, and Special Fries loaded with cheddar and chicken gyros.

Completing the line-up, ZZA Pizzeria is already a firm favourite at five STACK venues, serving stonebaked pizzas from classic margheritas to inventive topping combos, with mozzarella sticks and garlic bread on the side.

Gemma Dishman, Director of Strategy and Development at STACK, said: “Independent street food is a big part of what makes STACK special, and we’ve brought together a strong mix of local talent and well-established food operators for Wigan. Each brings something different to the line-up, giving customers plenty of choice and the opportunity to discover new flavours alongside their favourites.

“Bringing the former Debenhams back to life is about more than filling an empty building. We’re creating a place where people can come together for food, live entertainment and shared experiences, giving them more reasons to spend time in Wigan town centre. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone this November.”

Mike Matthews, Centre Manager at Grand Arcade, said: “STACK will significantly expand the food offer at Grand Arcade, adding six street food kitchens alongside our existing coffee shops. It gives shoppers much more choice when stopping for lunch or meeting friends, encouraging them to spend longer in the centre and supporting our retailers. With its own evening opening hours, STACK will also bring activity to Grand Arcade beyond the shopping day.

“Securing a new use for a unit of this scale is a significant milestone for Grand Arcade. STACK complements our retail offer and reflects our focus on developing a carefully curated mix of shops and leisure that responds to how people want to use the centre.”

Plus, STACK is treating the people of Wigan when the doors open, with a free drink for anyone who signs up to the STACK Wigan mailing list. Sign-ups will also be among the first to hear opening day details.