The project transformed a small shop, storeroom and unused function hall into a ‘vibrant’ social hub available for use throughout the day. The investment has increased casual dining and retail sales by 27%.
The retail store provides customers with a range of food including breakfast baps, pastries, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and salads. A fully franchised Greggs is located next to the store and at the Waterfront Café in the dockyard, ESS has introduced ‘Stacked’ which offers subs and salads to customers.
Bob Gray, managing director – ESS Defence, Marine and Aerospace, said: “We were delighted to work with the client at HMS Drake to take an underused space and create a great dining and retail facility. Drake Village is versatile in terms of both the products on offer and the contemporary environment it provides.
“It’s fantastic to see that participation has improved to such an extent, particularly against fluctuating numbers on site post-Covid. Seeing more people using the facility delivers on our overarching objective for the project – to improve the lived experience for service personnel on site.”