Starbeck could have an addition to its high street if planning permission is approved to open a new bar.
Local pub company Appetite for Life is planning to open its eighth bar at the former Greenalls carpet shop at the junction with Spa Lane.
It already runs a number of bars in the Harrogate district including the So Bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, and the Tap on Tower Street.
The owners said they hope to be open in May if covid restrictions are eased and that the new venue will offer something for everyone, including live music.
The building, 34 High Street, was previously occupied by Greenalls and Your Factory Bed Shop, but has stood empty for some time.
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Robert Thompson, director of Appetite for Life, hopes to open a brand new “quality independent cafe bar” called The Waiting Room, tying in to its location near Starbeck railway station.
If all plans are approved, the space will become a licensed craft beer and coffee shop, with a deli counter open during the day. At night the owners say it will have more of a bar feel.
Mr Thompson said it will have a modern feel which he hopes will appeal to people from across the district and create a buzz in Starbeck, adding:
“We have had Starbeck in our sights for a long time. We see it as a bustling, up-and-coming area within Harrogate that offers a vibrant retail, commercial and residential market for us to expand in.
“We feel that there is an opportunity to open a quality independent cafe bar and really add to the development of Starbeck.”
If approved, the plans will see the unit returned to one open space with the removal of a partition wall. An area to the rear will also be converted into a storage room from a bathroom.
Mr Thompson’s application for an alcohol and music licence will be heard by Harrogate Borough Council next week. An application has also been submitted for a change of use of the building from a shop to a restaurant/cafe and take-away.
