A much-loved local restaurant is to bring its home-cooked field-to-fork soul food to Marischal Square – filling the last empty leisure space at the development.
Maggie’s Grill, which will be retaining its Holburn Street premises as a neighbourhood restaurant, is due to open in the Spring bringing favourites from America’s Deep South to the east end of Aberdeen’s city centre.
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The restaurant will be in the former Prezzo site in the Marischal Square development which includes two city centre office buildings providing 173,500 sq ft of Grade ‘A’ office space with secure parking, seven restaurants and café bar spaces occupying the ground floor space, and a 126-room Residence Inn by Marriott.
Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor Jenny Laing said: “I am delighted a well-known local restaurant is taking up the last leisure space in Marischal Square and I am sure their highly-regarded offering will compliment what is already a flourishing hospitality complex.
Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor Jenny Laing said: “I am delighted such a well-known local restaurant is taking up the last leisure space in Marischal Square and I am sure their highly regarded offering will compliment what is already a flourishing hospitality complex.
“By investing £107million into the Marischal Square development, Aberdeen City Council has achieved regeneration of the east end of the city centre, helping to boost the city centre economy by attracting more people into the area. This project along with the additional £150million of investment in the city centre masterplan is creating a vibrant and attractive city where people want to live, work, and visit.”
Aberdeen City Council city growth and resources convener Councillor Ryan Houghton said: “The Marischal Square development is a major city centre transformational project fully supporting the long-term ambitions for the city and it’s great to see Maggie’s Grill adding to the tenant list.
“Marischal Square is a vibrant working environment which includes a mix of office and restaurant space and it is great businesses can see benefits of these amenities being side by side.
“The new restaurant will further enhance the business community in this part of the city and will attract people to the area for leisure as well as for work.”
Maggie’s Grill was set up in 2014 by Richard Parfitt and Sebastian Lord with the help of family and friends, and a whole load of blood, sweat and tears. Their business goal was to bring home cooked Cajun and BBQ cuisine to Aberdeen and, armed with Maggie’s cookbooks brought back from New Orleans, the pair worked relentlessly to bring freshly cooked soul food to the people, at a reasonable price, within a relaxed setting.
Richard said: “We have been blown away by our wonderful customers since we started eight years ago and we look forward to serving guests old and new at the much-bigger new premises in Marischal Square.
“Our staff are key to our success as our kitchen team work relentlessly to make brilliant food and our waiting staff thrive upon looking after families, serving lovely couples, and groups of friends. We have seen first dates, marriage proposals, and families grow, and are honoured to be part of our guests’ journey.
“We’re excited about being located in Marischal Square along with other local and national restaurants, bars, and ice cream café bars and we’re excited about this new chapter in our journey.”
Sebastian said: “Food provenance has always been a passion for us at Maggie’s Grill as we have always hand selected our suppliers, with one thing in mind – we wanted the finest locally sourced produce for our guests.
“As we are based in the North-east of Scotland, surrounded by lush green fields and wonderful farmers, we’ve always sourced our meat from the finest butchers and farmers that the city and Aberdeenshire has to offer.
“We are proud to have worked with some of the finest butchers, farmers, veg merchants, bakers and breweries and this will continue in the new venue – our moto has always been, and always will be ‘from field to fork, and made with soul’.”
