Vinyl restaurant gets diners in a spin
MUM AND SON TAKE OVER HISTORIC BUILDING FOR NEW VENTURE
A new restaurant and cafe themed around old records is hitting the right note with customers.
Vinyl only opened its doors last week in Spout Lane, Washington Village, but is already striking a chord with diners who are keen to see what the new owners have done with the former Cellini’s site.
A six figure sum has been invested into the property by Conor Snarly and mum Sue Allon who’ve used hundreds of old records in the venture, from records in the bathroom flooring to LPs used as tiers in the afternoon tea stands.
Conor said they’ve been overwhelmed by the response to Vinyl, which has created nine new jobs.
He said: “We’ve changed it up from how it was before and people seem to love how vibrant it is now. It’s a 200-yearold building so we wanted to keep its character whilst giving it a modern twist.
“Last week between the period of 12pm and 4pm every day it was non-stop and every seat was full, as soon as one emptied, it was filled again, which is amazing for a new business.
“I think people really appreciate the changes and they love looking at all the old records.”
Speaking about why they chose a record theme for their venture, which serves Italian/American-style food, he said: “My mam read an article about how much The Beatles White album was worth and remembered having one. We had a look in the loft and though she had the sleeve, she didn’t have the record inside it. While we were up there, she had loads of other records and we loved looking at all the artwork and thought it would make a great theme.”
Conor previously worked in Cellini’s before taking up a job in Newcastle and then returning to his home village for his own venture. He said: “I only live 30 seconds down the road from Vinyl, and because I’d previously worked here, I knew the regulars. When the previous owners closed Cellini’s, we jumped at the chance to take it on and bring something different to the area.”