Café bar’s bid to revive centre
ANEW independent café bar has opened in Southport town centre, breathing new life into a vacant shop unit in Bold Street.
Kokomo has been launched by Southport resident Adam Lunt who has swapped a career in marketing and business development to focus on the new venture.
The café bar, at 6 Bold Street, opened earlier this month after the former Philip Godfrey jewellery shop was completely refurbished to turn urn it into a vibrant day and night night venue.
The commercial property team at Southport law firm Birchall Blackburn Law advised Adam on his lease of the property.
Adam said: “Kokomo will be a laidback coffee venue by day and a chilledout wine and cocktail bar at night. We want people to know that this will be a relaxed, family-run business and a local one too. We’re not a chain, we care about Southport and want to see the town thriving.
“We’ve absolutely gutted the place. Inside we’ve taken the building right back to its shell and have reconfigured the internal area, including adding new washroom facilities. The shop front and external signage is completely new.”
Tony Coates, partner and head of the commercial property team at Birchall Blackburn Law, said: “We’ve advised on several leases in the town centre this year and it’s great to see people investing in Southport and bringing empty units back into use. Long may this continue.
“Adam had a very clear vision of what he wanted to achieve with the redevelopment of the building and it looks great. It will add something new to Bold Street and complement the existing food and drink businesses in the town.”