We were delighted to design and fit out a new restaurant, bar and entertainment venue for the owners of Blackpool Sands Café beach, just outside Dartmouth Devon – later described as “a masterclass in coastal chic” by the Dartmouth Chronicle. The scheme involved the design of a multi-functional entertainment venue, and interior design and fit out of a beach café, restaurant and bar for day and night time dining options. The beach is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a key challenge on this project was generating additional revenue without increasing the floor area.
Blackpool Sands beach has been under the ownership of the Newman family for many generations and that brings with it, a high degree of responsibility. On one hand, the family is keen to invest and ensure that the Blackpool Sands Café facilities continue to be a success. Yet on the other hand, they want to ensure that investments go into projects that are viable and become sustainable, and lessen the burden for future custodians. In addition to this, as it is an area of outstanding natural beauty, it was decided that the Blackpool Sands Café and restaurant development should take place within the existing footprint and not encroach on the environment around it. From a financial perspective this made the business case more difficult to justify, as revenue could only be developed though higher amenity value rather than increased seating capacity. It was therefore imperative that the scheme provided the Blackpool Sands Café business with a new way to flourish. And this was achieved by clever restaurant interior design; by redesigning the café and restaurant space and creating a multi-functional dining and leisure facility, which could accommodate new types of event, day and night. The scheme was designed and built by the gutxi team.
Sector
Hospitality & Leisure
Type
Consultancy, Interior design, Guest experience design, Design-build, Fit out
Location
Dartmouth, Devon
Using a local café, bar and restaurant interior designer and fit out contractor like gutxi was a natural choice for Blackpool Sands Café, who felt that it was important to use local suppliers. As John Gaughan of gutxi explained “When you are designing restaurant interiors and fitting out cafés, bars and eateries, it is imperative that the project is executed with precision and delivered at pace. And therefore finding the right supplier is crucial. However when you use one that is local, then it becomes a win-win for the customer and community. The service is more cost effective and responsive. Furthermore you are involving people that are fully invested in the project, as they are part of the community. And you are investing not just in the site but in the local economy as well, and that is so important for communities like ours. And on top of that, it is better for the staff involved and the environment. The aim of the Blackpool Sands Café project was to design and fit out a high-quality restaurant, beach café, bar and entertainment venue within the community. It is as much for the local Dartmouth community, as it is for visitors from outside of the area. It was therefore fitting that the project should place such a strong emphasis on working with local service providers.” And it has gone down well, with the Dartmouth Chronicle describing it as “a masterclass in coastal chic” and an “ultimate Devon beachside dining experience” by DevonLive.
“A masterclass in coastal chic”
— Dartmouth Chronicle
The Newman family has a long tradition of preserving and sympathetically enhancing the Blackpool Sands beach, since acquiring it in 1796. The major milestones since then have included; the development of a Blackpool Sands plantsman’s garden in 1896, the requisition of Blackpool Sands beach by the US marines in World War 2 which led to it being opened up to the public, the establishment of a Blackpool Sands Café with a wooden hut selling teas and ice creams in the late 1950’s, the Blackpool Sands Gardens restoration in 2000, and now a new phase. With a new range of leisure and entertainment experiences, including the hosting of weddings and music events, Blackpool Sands Café is now entering a new and exciting chapter.
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