Deep North, a popular North East doughnut and coffee chain, is poised to take over the closed café in Newcastle's Exhibition Park, which was controversially shut down by the city council earlier this year. The Ouseburn-based business, which also operates branches in Tynemouth and at Sunderland's Sheepfolds Stables development, said the well-visited park had “huge potential, with the right offer and operation.”
Background on the Closure
There was a public backlash against the site's closure, which came alongside that of the café in Paddy Freeman's park, with concerns about the loss of food, drink, and toilet facilities used by the elderly and people taking part in Parkrun. City council bosses insisted they could not afford to keep the two ventures running, claiming that they were “haemorrhaging” cash and costing taxpayers around £200,000 per year to subsidise. But there has since been a hunt to find a new operator who could breathe fresh life into them.
Current Status of the Deal
A deal for Deep North to take on the Exhibition Park café is yet to be finalised, but the bakery business has submitted a new licensing application for the building ahead of contracts being signed. While a timeline for the café's reopening has not been confirmed, the city council said on Thursday that it hoped it would be back open later this summer. No new operator for the Paddy Freeman's site has been announced at this stage.
Statements from Key Figures
Deep North director Phil King said: “We are delighted to be able to take on the cafe at Exhibition Park. I use the park myself and have long thought that the site has huge potential, with the right offer and operation. Whilst it is a different, wider offer to what we have at our Deep North sites – we will use the same approach to quality and community which has brought us the success we have had to date. We are excited to share more about the concept and the new brand in the coming weeks.”
The company’s licence application, made under the trading name Bandstand!, is for the sale of alcohol on and off the premises and live music every day until 11pm. A public consultation on that plan is due to run until July 13.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service previously revealed in May that council officials were moving closer to issuing tenancies for both closed sites, potentially on 10-year leases, subject to approval by the city’s new-look political leadership following the recent local elections. New city council leader Colin Ferguson said he was “delighted to see the return of café and toilet facilities to Exhibition Park and I know officers are working hard to deliver the same in Paddy Freeman’s.”
The Liberal Democrat added: “I regularly walk, run and cycle through Exhibition Park and used the café many times with my family. I was saddened to see it close and shared residents' disappointment at the move. When we were elected, I made it clear that we would look to accelerate the identification of a new operator. I am delighted that we have been able to come so quickly to making this announcement. Deep North are one of the many success stories coming out of Ouseburn and we are excited that we are moving closer to them operating their new concept out of the site, subject to final contracts.”
