A food-meets-football competitive socialising concept has kicked off a nationwide growth plan by opening in Birmingham, taking over defunct department store space.

Social, dining and entertainment brand TOCA's new unit at Hammerson’s 435K SF Grand Central and Bullring complex, Birmingham, will be the second after a debut unit at London’s O2 Arena. It is expected to open by 2023.

TOCA Social claims to be the world's first interactive football and dining experience, combining immersive football-based games and modern Americana-inspired cuisine. The London venue includes bars, selfie booths, arcade machines and a dessert room inspired by Willy Wonka, although it is not clear how that relates to football.

The new 40K SF TOCA Social space at Bullring & Grand Central will allow groups to “play a series of football-based games enabled by innovative ball delivery and tracking technology,” Hammerson said.

Hammerson said the move helps reposition the Bullring and adjoining Grand Central malls, which suffered a blow when department store John Lewis decided to pull out of its 247K SF store.

The signings demonstrate a strategy to repurpose department stores into smaller units and deliver innovative customer experiences, it said.

TOCA will be joined by M&S, which will take 67K SF for a food, clothing and home store.

The moves are “in line with Hammerson’s strategy to ensure its destinations are vibrant evolving spaces where people and brands want to be,” the company said in a statement.