A tipple with your ripple?
Sundae drinking- Our world-famous Harbour Bar applies to sel alco ol and add booze into some of its ice creams and milkshakes
One of Scarborough’s most iconic businesses has revealed that it is looking to sell alcohol for the first time in its long and distinguished history.
The Harbour Bar is known to people around the world as the traditional yellow and red-fronted ice cream and milkshake bar that is as popular today as when it opened its doors in 1945.
Owner Giulian Alonzi’s family started the business and he is now looking to diversify what the Sandside parlour can offer in the postCovid world.
Mr Alonzi said: “We want to make some milkshakes and ice creams with alcohol in them so that is why we have put in the application.
We’d also like to be able to sell prosecco and wine.
“When you go abroad you can sit and have your ice cream and a glass of wine so we thought why not in Scarborough? At the end of the day we are ice cream people, a family business, it’s not a pub and I don’t think we will be selling anything anyone will find too objectionable.”
The business, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary on August 1, will soon open up the second floor of its building to increase the number of people it can serve and Mr Alonzi says he has also been in contact with North Yorkshire County Council about expanding the seating area outside the front of his property. The alcohol application has been lodged with Scarborough Council and would allow the Harbour Bar to sell alcohol to have on and off the premises between 9am and 10.30pm seven days a week.
Mr Alonzi said: “We have been approached a lot about hosting wedding receptions and funerals so this would help us to be able to do that.
“The pandemic has been so demoralising for everyone and people are looking for ways to diversify and this is ours.”
He added that he had also written to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asking him to take up the fight after ice cream sellers and suppliers were not included in a recent 5% reduction in VAT announced by the government for the hospitality industry to help it get back on its feet.
Mr Alonzi said: “I’m not sure why we have been left out and I doubt I will get anywhere but I wanted to make sure I tried to do something about it.”
The alcohol application is now out to consultation until August 7.