A NEW restaurant is opening in Oxford this month, creating 18 jobs.

Itsu will set up shop in premises formerly occupied by The Works stationery store in Cornmarket Street.

Itsu is spending £1m to create the restaurant, which will be the first in the chain to open outside London.

It is the brainchild of Julian Metcalfe, who is behind the Pret a Manger cafe and sandwich bar business.

The restuarant, which will have 104 seats over two floors, will serve Asian-style food to eat in and takeaway.

Chief executive Gerard Loughlan said: “Itsu has grown significantly from an independent sushi restaurant to a chain of Asian-inspired, healthy fast-food shops.

“We now have more than 40 restaurants and shops in the UK, and it’s fantastic to see this expansion continuing with a new store in Oxford.”

He added: “Oxford was our first choice when thinking about a location outside London and will be an ambitious, exciting step. It’s a hotspot for students and professionals alike.”

Itsu has more than 8.5 million customers and has an expansion programme of up to 12 new outlets a year, with plans to extend to the US in the next four years.

Oxford is a significant location for Mr Metcalfe, with two Pret a Manger outlets already operating in Cornmarket Street.

Itsu opens on Friday, September 27, and staff recruitment is under way.