Restaurant to reduce seating to make room for new delicatessen
A HELENSBURGH restaurant has been given the go-ahead to introduce a delicatessen to its town centre premises.
Peckham’s, which opened at 48 Sinclair Street in January 2023, had always intended to open a deli in town in addition to the restaurant on the corner of Sinclair Street and East Princes Street.
The original plan was that the deli and shop would be located in a neighbouring building.
But due to delays with the development of that building, it will be added to the main restaurant instead, meaning a slight reduction in the restaurant’s capacity.
The restaurant will now be licenced for up to 247 people.
The plans were unanimously approved at a meeting of the Argyll and Bute Licensing Board on Tuesday, May 14.
Tony Johnston, Peckham’s founder and managing director, told the board: “The main reason for the variation is the reduction of some of our internal restaurant space, and the addition of the deli and retail shop.
“That was always in the plans in the first licence.
“It was due to be sited next door, but as things have turned out, there is a delay in the development of the neighbouring property.
“We want to introduce the deli into the restaurant at this stage.”
Licensing standards officer Raymond Park said: “It is a long term project that is developing as the years go on. This is the next stage, where it was arranged that a deli would be in a particular place.
“But things have shifted since and the layout plan shows how it will be incorporated.
“Apart from a few administrative bits and pieces, it is as Mr Johnston said.
“It means that the foot capacity will be down, but there will be more footfall coming into the shop which will have its own separate entrance.
“There are no issues from licensing standards’ point of view.”
Peckham’s was founded by Mr Johnston in 1982 and at its peak had 12 branches across Scotland.
But after being acquired by the G1 Group hospitality and leisure operator, now The Scotsman group, all its premises were closed.
Mr Johnston then re-acquired the company in 2020 and reopened its flagship store in Hyndland.
The firm’s plans for the former council buildings in the centre of Helensburgh were first lodged with Argyll and Bute Council in September 2016, and were approved three months later.
But structural concerns with the building held up its sale by the local authority, and then the knock-on effects of the Covid pandemic put the proposals on hold.