Sonflour to expand city centre restaurant while popular Irish chain to open new Cork café
Sonflour Focaccia Puglia PICTURE: Sara Pozzerle
Popular Italian vegetarian restaurant Sonflour will see its premises on Castle Street in the city centre extended after receiving planning approval from Cork City Council to expand into its neighbouring unit.
Ortley Way Limited sought permission to amalgamate the ground floor of the restaurant at No. 9, Castle Street, with The Gold Reserve at No. 9A. The proposed development would change the use from retail to restaurant to facilitate the restaurant's expansion.
The development will include demolishing some internal elements while retaining the existing storefront.
The proposed development also includes providing signage to match No.9 and all associated site development works.
Also in the city centre, a popular Irish café chain is set to open an outlet after being granted planning from the council.
Sprout and Co Kitchen Ltd applied for planning permission from Cork City Council for a development at the former Ulster Bank unit in no 16/17, Winthrop St.
The food business sought permission for a change of use of the ground and first floors from financial services to café, along with new business signage, and any associated site development works.
This will be the first Cork and first outside-Leinster location for the health café, which has six locations in Dublin and one in Kildare.
Elsewhere, popular Cork coffee franchise Soma is looking to expand its business further, with the company seeking approval to open a new unit in Wilton.
Soma Coffee Company Ltd sought permission from Cork City Council for a change of use of a former hair and beauty salon located at Cardinal Way, Wilton.
The council is due to decide on the application by the start of March.
Meanwhile, popular pizza shop Frankie's has announced its permanent closure less than two years after first opening.
Located on the South Mall in Cork City, the company posted on its social media on Monday: "It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that we have decided to no longer continue with Frankie’s.
"We're extremely proud of what we have achieved in such a short time giving it our all to serve quality pizza to the public of Cork.
Thanking its staff and supporters, the shop added that it was "widely known" how difficult it is to operate a food business in today's current climate in Cork City, which "ultimately led to this decision."
