Restaurants, bowling alleys and family entertainment centres could all come to Reading in 2024.

Over the last year, plans were revealed for leisure and entertainment businesses to come to the town centre.

They include plans to open two bowling alleys, an arcade and entertainment centre, and restaurants.

Meanwhile, little progress has been made on opening restaurants in the old Jacksons Corner department store, despite outline plans being approved for the building years ago.

These future facilities are at various stages of development, but with all being well, could open up this year.

New venue on the way in Broad Street Mall

Reading Chronicle: The old New Look and vaccination centre in Broad Street Mall, which is set to be taken over by Funbox Entertainment. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe old New Look and vaccination centre in Broad Street Mall, which is set to be taken over by Funbox Entertainment. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Broad Street Mall is set to host a family entertainment centre and arcade that could open up this year.

Entertainment company FunBox is due to open the arcade and physical gaming zone in mall units previously occupied by New Look and a coronavirus vaccination centre.

The company won licensing and planning approval to open 'Urban Fun Reading' in December.

Reading Chronicle: The floorplans for Urban Fun Reading family entertainment centre in the Broad Street Mall. Credit DMU DesignsThe floorplans for Urban Fun Reading family entertainment centre in the Broad Street Mall. Credit DMU Designs

Work will need to be undertaken to merge the two mall units and install equipment such as a VR gaming area, table hockey a mini 'duckpin bowling' zone and an eating area.

Once work is complete, FunBox will be able to sell alcohol and host these games until midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11.30pm on Wednesdays and 10.30pm for the rest of the week.

'Destination' bowling and family entertainment venue 

Reading Chronicle: Bowling lanes, coming to Reading soon. Credit: Bowl Central UKBowling lanes, coming to Reading soon. Credit: Bowl Central UK

A 'destination' bowling and entertainment venue at the old Dawsons music shop is set to open this year following delays.

The company Bowl Central revealed plans to open in 2022, receiving consent for internal works and a licence to sell alcohol that year.

However, delays to contracting and the installation of a new air management system have hit the project.

Bowl Central CEO Tracy Standish has said that he hopes the venue will open in early summer.

 Holywood Bowl and TK Maxx 

Reading Chronicle: Hollywood Bowl and TK Maxx are set to occupy the old House of Fraser in The Oracle.Hollywood Bowl and TK Maxx are set to occupy the old House of Fraser in The Oracle. (Image: NQ)

Holywood Bowl and TK Maxx are both set to occupy the former House of Fraser store in The Oracle.

Floorplans found on the Completely Retail website show Holywood Bowl occupying the Riverside level of The Oracle, near well-travelled escalators taking shoppers further into the mall.

Meanwhile, a floorplan for the upper mall shows TK Maxx occupying the former House of Fraser unit, next to H&M.

The businesses are set to occupy The Oracle after plans were approved to divide House of Fraser into three units last September.

Zia Lucia 

Reading Chronicle: The former Ask Italian restaurant in St Marys Butts, Reading town centre. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe former Ask Italian restaurant in St Marys Butts, Reading town centre. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Italian restaurant Zia Lucia is set to open in St Mary's Butts at a location previously occupied by the Ask Italian chain.

Property marketer Savills confirmed that Zia Lucia has signed a 15-year contract for the unit, which will be its first restaurant outside London and forms part of its expansion into the rest of the UK.

In preparation for opening, Zia Lucia operators applied for a licence to sell alcohol indoors and outdoors from 11.30am to 11pm each day.

Restaurants at Jacksons Corner 

Fat Hippo 

Reading Chronicle: The unit Fat Hippo is seeking to open at Jackson's Corner in Reading. (Image: John Taylor Architects Ltd)The unit Fat Hippo is seeking to open at Jackson's Corner in Reading. (Image: John Taylor Architects Ltd) (Image: John Taylor Architects Ltd)

Little progress has been made on restaurants opening at Jacksons Corner.

In 2022, licensing and planning applications were submitted for Rosa's Thai Cafe and the Fat Hippo chain burger restaurant.

However, there has been a lack of news coming from both food businesses regarding their occupancy of the department store, which closed on Christmas Eve 2013.

Reading Chronicle: The shop front plan for the Fat Hippo burger restaurant at Unit 2 of Jacksons Corner in Reading. Credit: John Taylor ArchitectsThe shop front plan for the Fat Hippo burger restaurant at Unit 2 of Jacksons Corner in Reading. Credit: John Taylor Architects

The initial plan for Fat Hippo to change the front of the unit it hopes to occupy was rejected by the council's planning department in February 2023.

A new application was submitted in April last year and is yet to be determined.

Rosa's Thai Cafe 

Reading Chronicle: The opening of the new café restaurant is still a way off, as the windows of Jacksons Corner are still obscured with branding. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe opening of the new café restaurant is still a way off, as the windows of Jacksons Corner are still obscured with branding. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Rosa's Thai Cafe London chain won permission for kitchen extraction an air unit plans for a unit at Jacksons Corner back in May 2022.

However, the unit remains unoccupied, and the chain's commitment to open in Reading is unclear.

Diners in the town were briefly able to enjoy food from Rosa's as part of the Deliveroo Editions, which is understood to have ended in 2021.