Bistro plans to open in old Wigan phone store

Lisa and Ryan Cunliffe, from Shevington, are hoping to open The Little Kitchen in the former O2 phone store in The Galleries.

The couple have been running the upstairs cafe at the retail hub next to The Fire Within’s galleries and art spaces for several months.

They now hope to bring a rustic-style eatery to the town centre.

Work is already beginning to turn the former store on Woodcock Square at the entrance to the Makinson Arcade into the bistro and the owners hope the doors of The Little Kitchen will be thrown open early in December if the town hall agrees to its application for a new premises licence.

If successful it will also provide a jobs boost to Wigan with 13 people waiting to start in roles they have already successfully interviewed for.

Lisa said: “We were looking at places on the way into the town centre but thought businesses weren’t lasting there and the footfall was mostly in the town centre.

“We started looking but were then asked by the council if we would run the cafe in The Galleries. It all went from there.

“The environment I’m aiming for is a coffee house with a lot of old rustic wood, black walls and some exposed brick. It’s going to be very open plan but also very warm and welcoming.

“There are also going to be a lot of USB ports and plug sockets. We’re aiming to get students in and be somewhere people can hold business meetings or charge their phones or tablets.

“We want to bring the younger generation back into Wigan town centre. We want students finishing college or people coming out of work around 5pm coming in for a bite to eat and a glass of wine or maybe an alcoholic coffee before going home.

“We’re very excited about it, although I’m nervous at the same time. We’ve done cafes before but this is a big venture for us, coming into the town centre. It’s kind of surreal.”

Lisa and Ryan are hoping to open The Little Kitchen for breakfast, lunch and early evening meals and there will also be a number of options for those who are following plant-based diets or cutting out gluten.

Lisa said: “There’s very little in Wigan that is vegan, gluten free or caters for alternative dietary options.

“We’ve had so many requests for it at The Fire Within. It is in such high demand and becoming so popular, we can’t not do it.”

The licensing application for the Woodcock Square premises, which it is hoped will seat between 80 and 100 people, is for it to be open from 8am until 7pm Monday to Thursday, from 8am until 9pm on Saturday and 9am until 5pm on Sunday.

It will also open from 6pm until 9.30pm on late-night shopping Thursdays in December.

They have also requested to hold film screenings and live music.

Lisa says the decision not to run a late-night venue is a deliberate one.

She said: “We’ve done the nightclub scene, bar work, working men’s clubs. We don’t want something like that. We want a cafe environment, something a bit more peaceful and relaxed.”

The deadline for representations on the application is December 6. Find out more on the licensing section of Wigan Council’s website.