Local NCL is in the process of obtaining permission for outdoor seating to expand their café, following their opening in April 2020.

Located on the corner of Acorn Road and Larkspur Terrace, the business is aiming to enhance its café experience in Jesmond. The outdoor seating permit is yet to be approved, the owner, Guy Pike, said. “We’re investing in an area, we’re here for a long time.”

Pike told JesmondLocal that his goal is to make sure residents are aware of what the business has planned for its expansion. “This is what we’re doing, we’re making it look nice and everything that we do is a part of that, and we want to represent that,” he said.

The land was applied for in January, but because the land is owned by the building owners, and not the business, the process has been elongated. Planning permission may take up to eight weeks from when the council receives a valid application.

Community benches that are located outside the establishment will remain in place if the permit is approved, Pike has assured residents. “We want to be supporting the community and supporting people who enjoy the area,” he said.

Outdoor seating will create a space for people to enjoy the things they can find in the shop that they can already buy.

Local resident and university student Verity Nellen told JesmondLocal: “The seating will be a fantastic way to extend the stay at the café and really give everyone the chance to absorb the amazing atmosphere and enjoy products even more.”

The coffeehouse and corner shop offers a wide array of products from hot drinks, cold drinks, pastries, snacks, and ice creams. Over the winter months, the prep kitchen will offer soups, curries, and stews. Sandwiches are available from Thursdays-Saturdays, in collaboration with PureKnead, an artisan bakery based in Whitley Bay that recently opened a city centre outlet.