A brand-new speciality coffee shop launched at the weekend in Newcastle-under-Lyme… but with a familiar face behind the counter.
Piccoloco threw open the doors to its Hassell Street café on Saturday serving up a range of beverages, from hand-brewed filter coffee to classic cappuccinos, as well as an extensive food menu.
It is the brainchild of Jon Hill who has been trading from a mobile coffee bar parked on The Stones marketplace since February 2020.
Daily Focus previously reported how serving customers from the horse box-style van during the Covid pandemic helped to bring people together safely as restrictions were eased, and created a much-needed sense of community.
It also gave Jon the confidence to take on his first fixed premises – so along with his son, Ben, he signed up for the unit, vacated by Sando restaurant and once a Yankee Candle shop, on Hassell Street.
Speaking about the new venture, Jon said: “After three and a half months of renovations, a number of late nights and two weeks of soft opening, our brand-new speciality coffee shop is officially open for business.
“We will be running a number of demonstrations showing the different ways in which coffee can be enjoyed as well as launching the opening food menu, which is served all day.”
And he added: “For those of you wondering what is happening, the horse trailer will also be open as usual for business on the Stones for the Newcastle-under-Lyme general market.”
The opening comes on the back of Piccoloco being named Café of the Year at the inaugural LoveNUL Awards, which was organised by Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District (BID) and reported in Daily Focus.
