A new dining destination featuring sushi, headed up by a member of chart-topping vocal group G4, is set to open in Cowes.
Mike Christie, who is also the organiser of the successful annual Wight Proms Festival, has unveiled plans to transform a redundant building at the junction of Park Road and Terminus Road into a new thriving café.
Using local builders and plans drawn up by Cowes-based heritage architect Leah Mew, Mike plans to create ‘The Bath House’, which will have sushi at the heart of its varied menu.
The name reflects its former use in the 1940s as a striking 2-storey building where the people of Cowes would pay to take a bath.
The building, also used as public conveniences for a time, has fallen into disrepair in the 15 years it has been redundant, but Mike is excited about the future – while also taking care to acknowledge the historic significance of the plot and its surroundings.
Mike has said:
“As a resident of Cowes, and I am passionate about seeing the town thrive. Hopefully, my plans will add something totally unique yet completely complimentary to all the wonderful places to eat and drink the town offers already.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Mike said that, as well as providing a place for people to come together and enjoy good food and drink, sourced locally wherever possible, he also wanted to provide other reasons for people to come together at The Bath House.
Ideas under consideration include making the venue a ticket hub where people could get tickets to local events or providing ‘pit stop’ facilities for cyclists.
He adds:
“I just want to bring back to life a building that has fallen into complete disrepair and hasn’t been used for 15 or so years into something that people will enjoy visiting.
“I want it to become a vibrant new place to visit but also respect the surrounding area and the heritage. It has been great to work with Leah to create a building that is new and fresh, yet which respects the area’s history.
“It has also been great to develop the food side of the business plan with another well-known and much-loved restaurateur, and we hope to be revealing much more about his in the near future.”
The new building will be single-storey and completely within the footprint of the existing building and have outside seating on a decked area. New windows will be used to create a bright interior, and a new feature will be added to the front of the building as a nod to the 19th-century pomp of nearby Northwood House.
Plans are being finalised, but Mike hopes to be opening the doors to The Bath House this Summer.
Brilliant news! Well done, Mike. It has been an eyesore for too long.
Nice but won’t last thought it was going to be a cafe or coffee place..
Us older generations will never be able to forget its original use and how filthy it was.