A popular restaurant chain has confirmed that Watford will be among a raft of 10 new restaurants set to open.

After Wagamama was granted planning permission to redesign the front of the former Frankie & Benny’s unit in Woodside Leisure Park at the end of January, it has now confirmed it will be opening a second branch in the town.

At the same time, the pan-Asian chain confirmed another nine locations in the UK which it said will create 500 jobs.

Its first new site of the year in Bentley Bridge, Wolverhampton, opened at the end of January. Other planned locations include St Enoch’s in Glasgow, Epsom, Doncaster, and Chatham in Kent.

Chief executive Thomas Heier said 2023 had been an “exciting year” with the launch of new dishes on a Korean-inspired menu including vegan corn dogs, hot pots, and rice bowls.

He added: “Our teams have done an excellent job in continuing to elevate our guest experience and we very much look forward to welcoming more guests to our benches as we head into 2024."

The chain has not yet confirmed when the Watford branch will open.