Coffee shop is serving up historic sports club views
Fancy a brew with a view?
A new coffee shop has openeditsdoorsatAshbrooke Sports Club as the historic sports ground prepares to ease out of Lockdown.
After Italian restaurant Diego’s moved to the Victoria Gardens pub, the new management team at the sports club decided to keep the room, which had previously been used by restaurateurs on a lease basis, in house and teamedupwithexistingmembers of staff to provide a new service in the area.
Noticing a gap in the market for a coffee shop in Ashbrooke, Emma Duncan and Becci Wake, who previously workedintheclub’sbar,came upwiththeideaofturningthe formerrestaurantintoacoffee shop. It opened as Vista this week, named after the views, which are one of the greenest in the city.
The coffee shop, which has been given a bright new look and has artworks for sale by Sunderland Art Club on the walls, is initially open for takeaway,butwillopenforsitin cuppas and light bites from May 17.
In the meantime, people will be able to take their coffees and cakes onto the terrace from April 12, as well as outdoordrinksavailablefrom the bar next door.
Emma said: “We sat down at Christmas with Jeff (from the management team) and had a think about what we thought would really benefit the club in this space, rather than another restaurant.
"Ashbrooke is lacking in coffee shops for such a big area. There are lots of walkers around here and people doing the school run, so we felt it would be an ideal location for a coffee shop.
"We’re starting off slowly with takeaway coffees and cakes, but we’ll expand the range as we go on and we’re open to suggestions too.”
Despite the coffee shop only being open for a couple of days, Emma says the feedbackhasbeenpositivealready.
Jeff Stoker, from the Ashbrooke Sports Club management team, said: “It’s early days, but once the gym reopens and sports can resume, it will be a great place for peopletocomeafterclassesorfor parents to sit and have a coffee when the kids are playing sports.”
*VistaatAshbrookeSports Clubisopen8.30amto5.30pm Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pmonSaturdaysand9.30am to 2pm on Sundays.