A vegan restaurant, whose customers include a Hollywood A-lister, will be allowed to serve alcohol again, after neighbours raised concerns about anti-social behaviour.
Bosses at Erpingham House in Tombland, applied for a new alcohol licence after the previous one lapsed, initially seeking to serve alcohol and host live music until 2am.
The restaurant has been a popular dinner destination since it opened in 2018, with customers including Grease actor, John Travolta and comedian Alan Carr.
Ahead of a licensing committee meeting on Thursday, neighbours wrote to Norwich City Council to object, saying Tombland risks becoming an anti-social hotspot again, with more late-night activity.
The restaurant manager, Loui Blake, said they did not plan to make any changes to the business and the new licence was needed due to an administrative error.
“I’m not suggesting I want to become a nightclub, I’m not actually suggesting anything change in terms of the operation of the business," Mr Blake told the committee.
“I applied for the exact same conditions, same hours, in four and a half years that we have been at the premises there has not been a single incident, there has never been a police call to the building, I haven’t received any concerns raised by local residents.”
He offered a series of concessions to neighbours, including slashing the hours live music can be played until 10am and conditions which included keeping windows shut while any is performed.
Mr Blake said around 40pc of revenue was alcohol-related.
“In the last eight weeks, having not served alcohol, I have had to significantly reduce staff hours, which is painful to do, particularly after Covid.”
The restauranteur had owned the business until the Coronavirus pandemic made trade difficult and it was liquidated, it was then taken over by business partners.
Erpingham House owners have included former Norwich City captain Russell Martin and reserve goalkeeper Declan Rudd.
One of the objectors praised Erpingham House, saying it brought something positive to the area, but was only concerned about the hours that had been initially stated in the application.
The committee granted the application with a unanimous decision.
Mr Blake said: "I’m very pleased with the decision today.
“We have demonstrated that we are responsible tenants of the building and custodians of Tombland.
“We want to make it an area that people are happy to visit and live in."
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