Café unveils knock-through plans to ‘significantly increase revenue’

A city centre café has unveiled plans which it hopes will increase its revenue by almost £180,000 a year.

The Good Day Café | Image © Google Street View / Google 2024

Good Day Café and bakery is located on the corner of Upper Borough Walls and New Bond Street Place.

Having traded there for six years and with 30 members of staff, the business says it is keen to remain as part of a bustling high street of historic buildings with high levels of footfall from tourists, students, and locals.

The owners say the past six years have seen much economic adversity for the hospitality industry so they must take action to ensure future revenue and keep up with rising costs.

The listed building consent application relates to connecting the two adjacent buildings at the ground floor to increase space for indoor seating.

75% of revenue is said to come from dine-in customers and the works proposed will increase inside seating capacity from 38 seats to 50.

The business says its current seating capacity is often full and there is a waiting list on weekends throughout the year. It also fills to capacity more frequently during the week in winter when the weather makes the outside seating unusable.

Projected data shows an increase in revenue by £179,686.73 a year if the plans are approved.

In addition to more seating, the scheme includes installing a ground-floor toilet, particularly convenient for customers with limited mobility, and parents of small children in need of a changing area.

The application says the current toilets are on the second floor and no surrounding cafés have ground-floor accessible toilets.

A more attractive shop frontage is also proposed as part of the application submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council.

In summary, it says: “The proposed works of connecting 12 Upper Borough Walls and 7 New Bond Street Place would create the means to significantly increase revenue and secure Good Day Café’s financial future.

“A secure financial future would allow us to remain in the city centre, employ three more full-time staff to run the additional seats and remain a sustainable business for many years to come.”

The planning reference is 24/03670/LBA. The deadline for comments is 7th November.