A new bar is set to open in Starbeck after Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee granted it a licence to sell alcohol.
Robert Thompson, director of Appetite for Life, hopes to have The Waiting Room open in May, covid restrictions permitting.
The building at 34 High Street was previously occupied by Greenalls and Your Factory Bed Shop, but has stood empty for some time. The name of the bar ties in to its location near Starbeck railway station.
Mr Thompson told the committee this morning that he hopes the bar will attract a different clientele to the nearby Prince of Wales pub.
He said:
“We see Starbeck as an up and coming area that lacks a high-quality, modern hospitality venue. We want to change that through an investment of up to £100,000.”
Appetite for Life’ 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 bar will also sell coffee from 7am Monday to Saturday and from 9am on Sunday, with a deli counter open during each day. It will close at 11.30pm Monday to Wednesday and 00.30am during the rest of the week.
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Starbeck is currently served by one pub, the Prince of Wales, plus two clubs.
However, the high street could see the addition of a second new bar called The Office Ale House, which submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council last year.
Owner Kevin Jones told the Stray Ferret that he is confident that Starbeck is big enough for the two new venues, and thinks covid has highlighted how important pubs are for local communities.
