A NEW modern, dog-friendly café and wine bar with takeaway options is opening in planned phases after a full refurbishment of the building.

JJ Crossfield’s Café and Bar in Arnside plan to serve a full drinks menu from midday to 10pm while the food menu is still being worked on - and then plan to expand on this when their pizza oven arrives.

One of the establishment’s top priorities was to preserve the rich history of the site during renovation and many original features including a stone wall unearthed halfway through the redesign process have been reinstated.

The venue’s opening was attended by Eric Crossfield, a descendant of the Crossfield family who founded the village’s Boat Yard. The name of the establishment also pays homage to entrepreneur James Crossfield, who founded the grocery store in which the bar now resides.

The Mail: James Crossfield's original shop

The team worked with a local designer and furniture maker to create a calming atmosphere that blends rustic and modern elements so that the colours inside reflected what can be seen around the local area.

Rowena Phillips, manager of JJ Crossfield’s, said: “It’s fantastic to be finally turning our ideas into reality. We want to do things differently, and most of all we want Arnside’s promenade to feel more diverse.

“This is about attracting more visitors but also making sure our local customers see the value in spending a whole day in Arnside.

“Everyone in the team lives within three miles of the village. Taking care of our neighbours is a real priority for us.

“That’s why we’ve set up a local discount scheme and special offers throughout the year available to people living in the local area.

“We’re really excited to be expanding our offering later this summer when our pizza oven arrives. We’ll be sharing more details around what this means as soon as we can.”