The Plans
The plans call for the Air shop building to receive an extension to the left and right of its current site. The new downsized Air shop will be located to the small patio area sited on the left hand side of the current shop’s entrance, coloured in blue.
As part of the work, the exit to Air will lead guests out into the new shop from the current stairs, with the Picsolve desk (highlighted in red) also relocated. An extension will be built to the right of the current shop to house offices, toilets and the kitchen.
Documents attached to the planning application show a new piece of theming to be fixed to the front of the extended building, marking the entrance to the new restaurant, while a site overview shows the overall project including layouts of both the ground and first floors.
Rollercoaster Restaurant
The restaurant’s theme is stated to be related to Air, and believed to be based on the “Rollercoaster Restaurant” format first developed by HeineMack. The hi-tech restaurants allow guests to order their food and drinks directly from their table using a touchscreen and RFID card. Food and most drinks are then delivered on specially made trays which run on rails direct from the kitchen to the table. The concept was first developed for a restaurant in Hamburg, and has since been developed for a further 7 locations.
Europa Park in Germany was the first theme park to get the format, and was also the world’s first Rollercoaster Restaurant where the food to certain tables goes through a vertical loop before arriving. Since its launch in April 2011, the FoodLoop restaurant at the park still commands large queues, and the novelty and uniqueness of the restaurant will no doubt ensure its success at Alton Towers.
We’ll bring you more news as we get it on the development as it progresses through the planning stages. In the meantime, make sure you pop over to our forums to discuss this and other developments both at Alton Towers and parks across the globe.
