The Fossgate Social looks to expand seating area into first floor flat

The Fossgate Social, in Fossgate, has put in a planning application to City of York Council to transform the residential flat on the first floor into another serving room seating up to 20 people and a little bar.

The grade II listed building is owned by siblings Sarah and Michael Lakin and the second and third floor are used as staff accommodation.

The Fossgate Social celebrated its first birthday on April 18, and according to its owners has been very successful in its first year.

Mrs Lakin said: "We are busy at the weekend when people are walking in and have nowhere to sit, so they have to leave which is very sad."

On the ground floor, which is a cafe during the day and a bar at night, there is space for around 35 people to sit down.

The expansion of the cafe, which provides exhibition space for local artists, would not only be able to offer an extra room for customers to sit in but also additional wall exhibition space and maybe a meeting venue.

Mrs Lain said: "We are excited to bits because we have never run a coffee shop before and it would be great to expand upstairs.

"In my mind, I picture comfortable sofas, and the feel of a relaxing lounge. That extra room will give us that bit more flexibility.

"In terms of operation, we are probably a bit small for a coffee shop and this expansion will make sense for us economically."

The work would include reopening a closed doorway between the first floor and the cafe’s staircase. The planning application states background music will be playing from the new space, currently opened from 8.30am to 1am, but will not be loud enough to be heard from the street.

The couple of siblings will have to put in a licence application in order to be able to sell alcohol on the first floor. The frontage of the building, which is located in York’s Historic Conversation core, will remain untouched.

The application is awaiting a decision from the council.