City centre café-bar reopens with a brand new look

A café-bar in the heart of the city has reopened its doors after undergoing a refurbishment.

Cookies, Craft and Kitchen - formerly The Cellar Café Bar - opened on May 17 for dining-in.

The shutters might have been down but, behind the scenes, the Percy Street business has been undergoing a makeover, including a fresh lick of paint and new furniture.

Business owner Michael Caine said: “I’ve been decorating since we have shut. I wanted to make sure when we do open again, everything has got to be spot on to get to where we were.

“We’ve repainted almost everywhere. It’s better and looks a lot brighter. The downstairs has been redone and we’ve got new furniture. It’s trying to work out what people will want and what kind of place we are going to be. Everything looks different.

“We were new before and just about getting by, given it was still the pandemic when we opened, so now it’s trying to get what we think people will want and what we will be and that will change rapidly.

“We would like to be something that's alternative to large rowdy pubs. We are in the position for that where we are among the other larger pubs. We want to be a respite for those places where people could come in and have a quiet drink with friends or their family, have something light to eat and enjoy themselves.

“Our product range is strong and the things we are serving are good quality. We want people to feel like they could come in and always have a good drink and food. We are not going to have any commotion or drama. It’s a nice casual atmosphere.”

The café-bar in Hanley serves a range of affordable alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as foods including gourmet pies and handmade burgers.

Thirty-one-year-old Michael, who lives in Tunstall, added: “I don’t want people to pay a ridiculous amount for something they have been getting at home for a while.

“I don't want people to have to feel they could only come out once a week. We are not a big busy bar or a nightclub. We don’t have lights or a sound system, but what we do have is a good atmosphere and good products.

“I miss having something to do really. We just want to go outside, meet people and have something to do. Personally, I want to be active again and see people, talk to people and make drinks with them. I want to get back into it.

“We’ve not seen anyone for a long time. When you walk down the street, everyone is in masks and they walk away from each other. There’s nothing anymore. We are drones walking past each other.

“So hopefully, we will break the back of that and get back to being human beings.

The opening hours for Cookies, Craft and Kitchen will be Sunday to Thursday, from 12pm to 8pm, while Friday and Saturday hours are 12pm to 9.30pm.