A new street-food restaurant - part of the Dough & Co Pizza group - is to move into the former Little Waitrose store in the Corn Exchange beside Ipswich Cornhill.

The company has agreed a 25-year lease with Ipswich council for the site which has been empty since the supermarket pulled out at the end of last year - and the presence of the new Botanist which is due to open in the Old Post Office building on the opposite side of Princes Street was vital to their decision to move in.

And there could be more good news on the restaurant front in the town centre.

It is understood that another major restaurant chain has looked at the details about the former Grimwades and Clinton Cards store on the Westgate Street junction with the Cornhill.

That is owned by a private company and there has been no contact with the borough council about the possibility of a planning application yet - but it is understood that enquiries have been made about possibly converting it into a restaurant.

Ipswich Central chief executive Paul Clement said: "That area does look as if it could quickly develop as a cluster of high-quality restaurants and that is exactly what we need to see in the centre of the town.

"As well as those on the Cornhill there is also the new Honey and Harvey cafe that is due to open on Giles Circus and if anything does happen at Grimwades that would be really good news."

One issue that will need to be resolved by the time both the Botanist and the new restaurant open towards the end of the year is the siting of market stalls which are currently based at the top of Princes Street four days a week.

Both restaurants want space in the street for outdoor tables - which will mean market stalls have to move, probably to the Giles Circus area.

Talks with stallholders are likely to be stepped up a gear now that the future of the Old Post Office and the former Little Waitrose store are settled - but the borough council does hold the final say because it is the market operator.