You can’t be all things to all people – or so the old saying goes.

But it’s a sound argument to say that’s no longer true, particularly when you consider an exciting new development heading to Middlesbrough.

The STACK brand has already revolutionised leisure in the North East – bringing together international street food, bars and an eclectic programme of entertainment in a unique setting.

A brand new STACK development is coming to Middlesbrough town centre – with trendy shipping containers already fitted out and ready to drop into place.

The STACK idea started life in a Newcastle city centre venue which went on to attract millions of visitors, allowing owners and developers the confidence to grow their brand.

The Newcastle location was always a temporary site and although it has closed its doors, work is underway on a new permanent home in the city.

STACK Seaburn in Sunderland followed and now STACK Bishop Auckland, STACK Durham, STACK Lincoln and STACK Carlisle are also at varying stages of development, with others in the pipeline.

And it is now full steam ahead on STACK Middlesbrough which will add a completely new dimension to the town’s leisure scene – and creating around 115 jobs.

Undeveloped land where the A66 flyover meets Exchange Square, close to the now demolished Slam! Nightclub, will be the home to the new development.

A massive transformation will see shipping containers create an entertainment village with a difference – a central plaza with communal seating, five street food outlets and three bars – along with a stage for live entertainment.

It will be a hard-to-miss development, painted in STACK’s signature colours and bringing together an eclectic range of hospitality options – all in one place.

STACK brings together cuisines from across the world but more than that, its entertainment programme is designed to be inclusive and engaging.

From audience participation nights with Kroud Karaoke to special events for children, from live DJs to quizzes, to open mic events to folk, rock, pop, and soul music performances – the schedule is finely balanced and sets out to please everyone.

The choice of food operators is made along the same lines – giving people as much choice as possible.

Other STACKS offer Mexican, Asian, Italian and much-loved favourites like fish and chips and mac and cheese – and the STACK operators will be looking to bring a similar mix to Middlesbrough when they are at the point of selecting street food operators.

Neil Winch, CEO of STACK, believes that it is the sheer choice and variety on offer that makes STACK so successful.

“We set out from the start to create a brand that really would be a crowd pleaser,” he said.

“We attract people of all ages because everyone can find something that they like – from the entertainment to the fantastic and varied food offering.

“At the same time, we know that, when up and running, STACK will transform Exchange Square into an exciting leisure destination, which will also have a positive, knock-on effect for other businesses operating in the area.”

Remedial work is ongoing to the A66 bridge, and once complete STACK Middlesbrough should be ready to open “as soon as possible”.

“Our aim is to get the site open as soon as possible, we have started work fitting out the containers so that once the site is ready the installation and build can happen swiftly,” said Neill.