New Lancaster city centre café bar opens in time for Christmas

Vincenzo’s is a familiar name in Lancaster, having celebrated 10 years of the popular Vincenzo’s Coffee House in St Nicholas Arcades this year.

And Vincenzo’s café bar is now open in Marketgate Shopping Centre, offering much of the familiar Vincenzo’s menu, with the addition of home made burgers and chips.

The licensed café bar also serves a wide selection of alcoholic drinks and is currently serving seasonal favourites such as mulled wine, liqueur coffees and Bailey’s hot chocolates.

With ground floor, first floor and covered outdoor seating, the café bar is also able to cater for private functions and events.

The project took just over three months to complete physically, and involved the work of many local contractors.

Vincenzo’s supports other local, independent businesses wherever possible, and called on such businesses for services ranging from signage, decorative displays and food and drinks supplies.

With the creation of 11 permanent new jobs, including front of house and kitchen roles, the new team have worked hard together to deliver the project to the highest of standards.

Opening a new premises has proven to have many similarities to moving house, with several smaller projects and improvements ongoing since the business has opened, such as the creation of a second bar in the upstairs seating area, the addition of a beautiful upstairs flower wall, and an expanding cocktail menu.

Cafe owners Helen and Vini said: “We will continue to strive to provide our customers with restaurant quality food and service, within sociable café hours and in a comfortable, quality furnished environment.

"We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline and look forward to being able to host special events for our customers.”

Helen added: “With so much concern focused on the future of retail and the local high street, we feel that the continued success of hospitality and leisure businesses in Lancaster illustrates the vital role these sectors have to play in ensuring the future of our high street. We look forward to continuing to play our part in this.”