A NATIONAL chain is set to open a new bar and restaurant in an empty town centre building.

The Alturo Lounge, which would be run by Cosy Club owners Loungers, will be making a move to Belle Vue Terrace in Malvern in a listed building left empty by Italian restaurant chain Prezzo.

The renovation of the new ‘lounge’ bar and restaurant is expected to cost around £1 million and would create around 30 jobs, according to the application.

The new Alturo Lounge, which joins more than 160 other ‘lounges’ across the country including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham, promises to create a neighbourhood café and bar by combining a restaurant, British pub, and coffee shop culture with a “warm, comfortable, home-from-home” atmosphere.

Visitors can expect traditional breakfasts and brunches, sandwiches, flatbreads, tapas, salads, burgers and other classic main meals as well as cocktails, cakes and desserts.

The new bar and restaurant would also be child and dog-friendLy and would offer vegan and vegetarian options.

The opening hours of the new Alturo Lounge are expected to be 9am to 11pm.

A statement included with the application said: “The lounges are all uniquely designed, with an emphasis on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for families – as well as four-legged friends.

“The aim of every lounge is to tie in with local customers so that they can make of the lounge what they will; whether a customer wants to come in for a coffee after dropping children to school, a working lunch, or a tipple after work, lounges can provide an environment for all these purposes.

“As well as these everyday activities, each site will be tied in with local charities and initiatives. For example, during the pandemic, a number of lounge sites opened up to make food packages for local shelters and schools.

“Also, they will run reading groups, young mum’s support groups, Christmas initiatives as well as a number of others.”

The owners' Loungers expect to take out a 15-year lease as part of a deal that is “designed to last.”

“[Loungers] invest very wisely and in high-quality goods for every one of their sites; they are designed to last. Based on current proposals, the conversion of this property will represent an investment cost of approximately £1million,” the application said.