A new café is ready to open on Low Street, Sutton, in the former Yorkshire Bank which has been renovated by Ashfield District Council.
The ground floor of the building was split into two commercial units which have been let to a local entrepreneur, Tricia, who also runs the successful Mill Waters Cafe at Kings Mill Reservoir.
The building has received a new lease of life and will be open as Rendezvous Café and Bar; a café and social enterprise, from Friday 2 June. The café will offer training and work experience for learners from Portland College and Vision West Notts College as part of their curriculum.
Tricia worked with students from Vision West Notts College to design the menus and to upcycle the furniture for the café. She has taken on three hospitality students from Portland College who will be gaining valuable real-life experience in the café working on food preparation, customer service, and waiting tables.
The café offers a range of contemporary breakfast and lunch options including loaded open sandwiches and rainbow pizzas, with a focus on healthier meals as well as more traditional food.
This is the first of the two Future High Streets Fund projects on Low Street, with the renovations to 9-11 (the former YMCA shop) starting soon.
Tricia Ironside, owner of Rendezvous, said:
“I am so happy to be able to open another business in Ashfield, working with the Council. They have been a great support and I can’t wait to welcome you all to my new café.
“We are hoping to offer something a little bit different in Sutton and I am proud to be able to work with students from Portland College and Vision West Notts College to give them valuable opportunities.”
Cllr Matthew Relf, Executive Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, said “The first of our Future High Streets Fund projects is now officially completed and it’s great that the building will be back in use so soon.
“Rendezvous will be a fantastic new addition to Sutton and the fact that Tricia is able to offer real life experience to the learners from the two colleges is just the icing on the cake. The Council is proud to support this project and we are extremely pleased that the former Yorkshire bank will once again be a key part of the high street in Sutton.”