STACK Street Food Venue Coming to Durham's Former M&S

The empty former Marks & Spencer on Silver Street is set for a new lease of life. Work is under way to convert the landmark unit in the heart of Durham into STACK Durham, a street-food and leisure venue from the operator behind the popular STACK sites elsewhere in the North East.

For a prominent city-centre building that has stood empty since M&S moved out, it is welcome news. The plan is to bring footfall back to Silver Street with a mix of food, drink and events rather than another shopfront.

What's planned

According to Business Durham, the scheme will feature seven street-food outlets, five bars, a coffee shop, a rooftop terrace and a community-event space, all inside the converted store. The idea follows the template STACK has used elsewhere, where independent food traders sit around shared seating with regular live entertainment.

Work has begun on site, starting with asbestos removal and stripping out the interiors before the fit-out proper. As with any project of this size, the opening date has moved more than once since the plans were first approved, so it is worth treating any timescale as provisional.

Best for: STACK Durham is not open yet. This is a look ahead at what is coming to Silver Street. We will update our directory and add it to the site once doors open and opening hours are confirmed.

Why it matters

A busy food-and-drink venue in a large empty unit could make a real difference to this end of the city, drawing evening trade to Silver Street and the Market Place. It would sit within easy reach of the bus station and the main shopping streets.

In the meantime, there is no shortage of places to eat in the city. See our guides to the best pizza in Durham and date night in Durham for where to go right now. We will report back when STACK's opening date is confirmed.