Memories, Altrincham
Our client approached us with an exciting ambition: to transform a vacant fish and chip shop in the heart of Altrincham’s conservation area into a fresh, independent café bar with a personality that shifts effortlessly from day to night. Although experienced in hospitality, they had never opened a bar in the UK before, and they came to us for our friendly, knowledgeable and professional approach, a team who could guide them through each step from the earliest concept ideas to the final fit out.
A key early challenge was securing planning permission for the external alterations within the conservation area. We led this process on the client’s behalf, developing a proposal that balanced their aspirations with the sensitivities of the historic setting. Our understanding of the local context and planning requirements ensured that the application was approved, allowing the project to move forward with confidence.
From the outset, we understood that the project needed to be delivered on a limited budget and in carefully managed phases. To support the client’s decision making, we obtained early cost ideas for the fit out, helping them understand what was achievable within their budget and where to focus investment for the greatest impact. Our role was to ensure that these constraints did not diminish the quality, atmosphere or ambition of the space.
We developed a design strategy that retained much of the existing interior while refreshing it with bold new paint finishes, graphic vinyls and films, and renewed materials for the bar and back bar. This approach allowed the client to progress the work at their own pace while still achieving a vibrant, characterful transformation.
The café bar needed to work hard throughout the day, shifting from a bright, welcoming brunch and coffee spot in the morning to a lively cocktail bar in the evening. Our design responds directly to this dual identity. During the day, new bi folding windows open the space to the street, flooding the interior with natural light and strengthening the connection with the neighbourhood. In the evening, the atmosphere changes, anchored by a large illuminated hanging moon that becomes the focal point of the night time experience.
Externally, the approved alterations enhance the building’s presence within the conservation area, giving the café bar a confident new identity that feels contemporary yet respectful of its historic surroundings.
Despite the modest budget, the project successfully delivers a fun, quirky and inviting café bar that reflects the client’s personality and ambition. It demonstrates how thoughtful design, careful decision making and a collaborative approach can create a distinctive and memorable space, even within tight constraints. Projects like this also highlight how valuable our early concept design work can be for clients launching new hospitality ventures, helping them understand possibilities, costs and practical steps with clarity and confidence.
