A prime location in Newcastle’s Central Arcade, formerly home to the renowned music retailer JG Windows, is set to be transformed into a new branch of the Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid. Planning documents submitted by Taras Properties Ltd reveal proposals to convert the vacant unit, alongside the neighboring former Naked Deli premises, into a sizable dining venue.
JG Windows, which had operated from the site since 1908, closed its doors permanently in November 2024, citing intense competition from online retailers. Following the auction of its stock—which ranged from instruments to grand pianos—the historic space has remained empty.
The Giggling Squid family business, named after a nickname for the founders’ children, currently operates 53 restaurants across the UK and has extensive experience adapting listed buildings for hospitality use, including their Grade II Listed site in Maidstone. The proposed development aims to preserve much of the building’s historic first-floor layout while introducing a new kitchen and mixed seating areas along the Grey Street elevation.
According to the design statement, the shopfront will be repainted green in line with the Grainger Town Shopfront Design Guide, with careful restoration of existing timber features and the retention of the historic “Newcastle Brewers Ltd” gold leaf sign. While some minor internal alterations are planned, the application emphasizes that the public benefits of revitalizing the prominent Urban Core site outweigh any minimal impact on the heritage asset.