The fate of three city centre buildings once owned by a family-run café business is yet to be decided.
Leicester’s Brucciani’s decided to pull the plug on the business last spring, saying changes to the marketplace meant the family no longer felt confident about investing in the business.
It had two city centre cafés as well as bakery just outside Leicester’s inner ring road.
Owner Tom Brucciani had said “all good things must come to an end” as he announced the last cakes and coffees would be sold on May 4, 2019.
Some 50 staff were made redundant.
A three-storey Fox Lane premises, at the rear of Marks and Spencers, was put on the market for £350,000.
A Church Gate premises went up for sale for £550,000.
Commercial property specialist Andrew and Ashwell later sold the former cafés following the sale of the Brucciani’s bakery building in Bath Lane.
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LeicestershireLive understands that investors are planning to redevelop the Bath Lane site.
Joe Levy, managing director of property developer Bradgate Estates owns offices next door to the old bakery, and said he was in discussions to work with the new owner on plans for the site.
He said: “We have owned our offices next door for about 12 years and we want to work together to regenerate the site.”
Meanwhile the Fox Lane café premises – in an alleyway around the back of the city’s M&S store – stand empty.
While LeicestershireLive has been told the Church Gate property was bought by a developer who is now awaiting planning permission to create eight new bedsits on three floors above the ground floor shop area.
Then property was due to be sold at auction through Shonki Brothers last month, with a guide price of £725,000 to £750,000.
But it was pulled out of the auction because planning permission for the flats had yet to be confirmed.
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LeicestershireLive understands it could be included at the next auction in April, and would be sold as a development opportunity for someone to convert themselves.
Sales details state: “The double entrances facilitate division to two retail units or alternative uses including residential subject to planning.
“Planning has been submitted for conversion of part of the upper floors to 8 x 1 bedroom flats.
“We have been advised approval is imminent.”