THE former Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurant in York city centre is set to become a new street food bar.

The company behind a popular Thai restaurant brand with branches in Leeds and Harrogate has applied for planning permission for the empty unit at 7 Lendal.

The team behind the award-winning Sukhothai restaurants are planning to open a new venture - Zaap Thai Street Food - in the vacant shop next door to Judge’s Lodges.

A spokesman for the brand said the new restaurant will open in about six weeks and work has already begun on fitting out the interior.

It will have space for 100 customers across two floors and will be decorated with a Bangkok street theme - including an open kitchen, bar and seating inside tuk tuks.

The spokesman added: "We chose York as we know what a fantastic city it is, we have been looking for a site in York for two years and have finally found it with 7 Lendal. The city has nothing like Zaap and we can’t wait to introduce Zaap to the people of York."

There are also branches of Zaap in Leeds, Nottingham and Newcastle.

The Gourmet Burger Kitchen branch shut earlier this year.