“It still smells new here,” one of the customers looked around the newly opened premises. She came to Varyáda for the first time since its reopening. “I guess I’ll be wandering around here for a while until I get used to the new things,” she predicted.
Milan Hloušek, director of the Food Bank of the Karlovy Vary Region, decided to strike while the iron is hot. “I am negotiating the involvement of the supermarket in the autumn food collection here,” he explained the reason for visiting the new shopping center.
Although blue tarps sometimes suggest that not all shops are open yet, most of them are already serving shoppers. “Today, it’s not just about sales, but about the overall experience and the quality of the environment. The modernization of Varyáda was a natural reaction to increasing competition and high demand for quality services and modern facilities in the region,” said Barbora Tesnerová, CEO and managing director of EPG Group, which owns the Karlovy Vary shopping center.
As the company’s marketing director Martin Malý added, the goal of the reconstruction was to build an environment that is modern, functional, and pleasant. “The new design, a wider range of shops, and better transport accessibility are a step that moves Varyáda forward and strengthens its strong position in the market,” he noted.
However, the public criticized the new parking system near the center. It is no longer free; motorists can only enter the premises through barriers. However, according to the experience of one of them, the bigger problem is when exiting.
The exit barrier is right before the traffic lights. I experienced car queues there for a good half hour,” the driver shared his experience. However, on Monday before noon, the entire area was freely accessible, with barriers both at the entrance and exit raised.
The modernization of the shopping center lasted almost two years. It started in January 2024 and culminated this year on October 18 with a grand opening. During that time, the center grew by a third to the current 27 thousand square meters. The owner paid more than 40 million euros for the modernization.
The construction company performing the work had to cope with the condition that the reconstruction must take place while the center remained operational. Only the supermarket within the center’s premises was closed for less than two months.
“The highlight is that we completed over 120 night shifts in total. The project also brought several technically demanding challenges. For example, in the areas connecting the extensions, it was necessary to reinforce the existing piles by drilling associated large-diameter piles,” indicated the complexity of the project Ludvík Kucharič from Metrostav company.
The project also included the construction of the first Karlovy Vary multiplex, Premiere Cinemas. Its construction began in June 2024 and the work lasted approximately 13 months. The multiplex now offers up to a thousand seats in six halls. The first film was screened here this July.
Karlovarská Varyáda celebrates 20 years of operation this year. Together with the Central Most shopping center, it forms the Czech portfolio of the investment group EPG Group. This group specializes in the development, management, and long-term expansion of commercial properties.