The former Burton menswear premises at Middlegate, Penrith, is set to become an Eastern European food shop.
Extensive work is under way at the site, which is being turned into a new outlet for Polish grocery franchise, Food Plus, ahead of its opening at the end of this month.
Warren Ryan, of Penrith, who owns the business, already has the Food Plus store across the road, as well as shops in Kendal and Dumfries.
He said: “I really need the space. I’ve been looking for somewhere for the last two years and so when it became available, I leapt at the chance.
“We have some loyal customers here so I’m confident we’ll do good business there. I’ve always wanted to grow my business in Penrith and keep the high street occupied.”
The Arcadia Group, which owned the Burton brand, went into administration last year and was bought by ASOS, which made the decision to close the Penrith store.
Mr Ryan has owned his existing Penrith shop for eight years.
The South African-born businessman has had a varied career and developed an interest in Eastern European stores after his wife got a job at one.
He learned all about the different types of food over a year or two before going into business and thinks many Penrith residents will enjoy trying new kinds of hams, sausages and cakes from Eastern Europe.
He will continue to run his original Penrith premises, which will close for a month to be converted into a newsagent specialising in alcohol from around the world.
Mr Ryan has already found three new members of staff to join his team.
