In 2018, STACK occupied a site on Newcastle's Pilgrim Street that was waiting for redevelopment. Its shipping containers, food stalls, bars and stage were temporary by design. The land would eventually be needed for the new HM Revenue and Customs office.

Eight years later, the company behind it is building a national leisure business around a more permanent format. STACK now operates venues in Newcastle, Seaburn, Lincoln and Middlesbrough. Further schemes are under way or proposed across the North East, North West and East Midlands.

The change is more than geographical. The original business made temporary use of an awkward city-centre plot. The new model asks landlords and councils to back STACK as a solution for vacant department stores, listed buildings and neglected town-centre sites.

That is a different business. Permanent sites require larger capital commitments and public-sector partnerships.

Founder and chief executive Neill Winch developed STACK from earlier temporary hospitality projects, including Hadrian's Tipi outside Newcastle Central Station.

The Pilgrim Street site combined independent food traders with STACK-run bars, live entertainment and large communal seating.

Winch told North East Times in 2023 that the stage was the decisive addition. Food and drink gave people a reason to visit, but year-round music and events gave the site a reason to return.

He also said the original STACK cost £2.4m to develop on an available plot at what he described as the less active end of Newcastle's city centre. The company said it attracted 1.3m visitors in its first year and more than 3m before closing in 2022 to make way for the office development.

Newcastle showed that the format could activate a development site. Seaburn tested a different part of the model. Opened in 2020, during the pandemic, it could not rely on city-centre passing trade. Winch told North East Times that the venue had to generate its own footfall.

The contrast suggests that the model could interest property owners beyond Newcastle because it could create a destination rather than rely on passers-by.

STACK Topco, the holding company created in 2023, describes each venue as a multi-purpose entertainment site with independent street-food traders, bars and a live events programme. The group's accounts set out the economics.

The group reported £13.5m of turnover in the year to April 2025. The accounts record this solely as bar and door takings, including entry and ticket revenue.

The food traders are independent businesses, rather than outlets whose food sales flow through STACK's turnover. Public filings do not disclose their rents or revenue-share arrangements.

That division of labour is central to the model. STACK controls the space, alcohol offer, events programme, bookings and customer experience. The traders provide variety without requiring the group to run every kitchen. For an operator, that reduces menu and chef risk. For a landlord or council, it creates a venue with several reasons to visit across the day and week.

The accounts show the capital required to move from temporary sites to permanent venues. The group generated £3.4m of cash from operations and spent £7.5m on investment in the year to April 2025. It added £7.7m of fixed assets.

The accounts record £4.61m of government grants and landlord contributions secured against projects in Northampton, Lincoln and Durham. They say STACK had spent more than £32m on development costs by April 2025.

The containers remain useful where a site needs a relatively quick, flexible intervention. STACK Middlesbrough, which opened in December 2024 beneath the A66 flyover, uses 25 containers. St James' STACK, a joint venture with Newcastle United, uses a container-built fan zone with capacity for about 3,000.

But the expansion programme increasingly depends on conventional property redevelopment. STACK Lincoln occupies a former Argos unit at St Marks Shopping Centre. The Newcastle venue at Worswick Chambers occupies a Grade II listed building vacant for 25 years. STACK plans to convert two floors of a former Debenhams in Wigan's Grand Arcade.

The model gives councils and landlords a potential anchor tenant for properties where retail demand has weakened. A conventional restaurant may fill one unit. STACK offers food traders a platform, alongside an evening offer and an additional reason for people to visit the area.

West Northamptonshire Council is providing £4.175m from the Towns Fund towards the conversion of Market Walk, while STACK has committed £8m.

The Bishop Auckland scheme gives the clearest view of the arrangement. Durham County Council owns 9-11 Newgate Street. It agreed a grant of up to £3.715m for STACK Bishop Auckland and Hold Group to redevelop the site, after which Durham County Council will lease the building to STACK at a commercial rent.

The scheme was delayed by structural concerns involving an adjoining building. A proposed further £2m has not been finally approved.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal struck out a challenge to that additional proposed funding in June 2026 because no final subsidy decision had been made. It did not rule on the merits of the proposed grant.

As at September 2026, STACK operates five venues: STACK Seaburn, STACK Lincoln, St James' STACK, STACK Middlesbrough and STACK Newcastle at Worswick Chambers.

Further schemes are at different stages. West Northamptonshire Council says construction is under way at Northampton, but no opening date has been confirmed. Visit County Durham lists STACK Durham with its opening date to be confirmed.

In Bishop Auckland, the official regeneration update says structural concerns involving an adjoining building have delayed the scheme. STACK's website still lists Whitley Bay as a location, but its public announcements for the site relate to planning activity in 2023.

STACK says Wigan is scheduled to open before the end of 2026, with six kitchens, five bars and capacity for more than 2,000 people.