Stranges Lane ‘reinvigorated’ to attract new kind of customer
New blood has entered a well-known Christchurch hospitality laneway in the hopes it can return to its bustling heyday.
Three offerings at Stranges Lane on High St have been revamped and re-fitted to freshen the space up. They are Rascal cafe´ and bar, Soul Quarter restaurant and Cascade cocktail bar.
Couple Toby and Nikki Eaton are behind Rascal, while Soul Quarter and Cascade are run by business partners Josie Baker and Seth Hamilton. The latter pair are two thirds of the ownership of The Craft Embassy on Oxford Tce, which has been highly popular since it opened in 2018.
All four new owners are friends and experienced hospitality operators, entering the Stranges Lane space at the same time intentionally, in an effort to transform it and attract a new kind of customer. Cascade has replaced Strange & Co, the former Orleans has become Soul Quarter, and the new Rascal was formerly the site of Cappa, and Vespa before that.
The group have also taken over the garden bar area and named it A Little Strange, which is part of the new Cascade bar and was previously known as Lower 9th diner. The area has been fitted with a glass ceiling to eliminate wind and still allowing the sun to shine through.
‘‘We’ve reinvigorated the whole area and are aiming at a new target market,’’ Toby Eaton said.
The changes were made in an effort to move the space away from its late night dance party history, towards a more formal dining experience, he said. Rascal’s revamp was done almost entirely from scratch. The Eatons built a new bar and outdoor seats themselves specifically for it.
The cafe´ bar will offer a food menu that changes weekly, specialist wine and beer, as well as an extensive, barsetting cocktail list that pushes the boundaries of what a normal cocktail looks and tastes like. Toby Eaton is the cocktail and customer expert and Nikki Eaton runs the food and business side of things.
The Soul Quarter is a Louisiana/ French infused restaurant aimed as a semi-formal dining approach. The menu includes upmarket salads, sandwiches, steaks and salmon, as well as vegan and gluten-free options.
Cascade is a more informal bar offering plates for sharing, wine, craft beer and cocktails. Bar snacks and a few upmarket sandwiches are offered.