Cosmo Preston: What are the latest plans for a Cosmo all you can eat restaurant in the city?

The Lancashire Post reported earlier this week that a poster proclaiming an all you can eat restaurant is ‘coming soon’ to the city centre has been on display for at least eight years – but there is no physical sign yet of the eatery opening.

After whetting foodies’ appetites for 10 years, the award-winning restaurant chain has now confirmed they are still working on plans to open a site in Preston.

Spokesperson Joanne Fallah said: “At the moment, COSMO Preston is in the planning phase and there’s no real indication on openings and further updates.”

COSMO Authentic World Kitchen, founded in 2003, takes the taste buds on a tantalising tour of the world’s most celebrated meals, offering Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, South American and British cuisines under one roof. Boasting “food theatre” with live cooking stations, diners can feast on an unlimited number of courses for one set price every day, with dishes including a carvery, a deli, teppanyaki steaks and a chocolate fountain.

The company announced plans for a Preston site in 2012, after securing permission in autumn to convert a former motorbike store in Church Street into an eatery.

It attracted comments from social media users the following year with a Facebook post, and operations director Kan Koo claimed in Big Hospitality magazine that it was expanding to six new sites in 2013, including Preston.

A billboard poster announcing Preston COSMO was “coming soon” also appeared in the window of the Church Street shop.

But despite the lengthy build-up, there has been no sign of a COSMO dinner being served up in the city.

Social media users continued to comment on Cosmo’s 2013 Facebook post, asking when the company’s plans will come to fruition.

It comes as Hickory’s Smokehouse announced it was opening a restaurant in Preston.

After months of speculation, Hickory’s confirmed plans to move into the former Anchor Inn site in Liverpool Road later this year with a completely new, open kitchen and chef’s bar, and a specially created cinema room.