A former high street bank which closed three years ago has been transformed to house three local businesses employing over 20 people in the thriving Anglesey town of Menai Bridge.
The old bank building in Uxbridge Square was the long-time branch of the NatWest but now instead of becoming an empty eyesore it is home to an expanding law firm, a restaurant and a women’s wellbeing studio.
The three tenants are solicitors Swayne Johnson who opened their sixth office here on the first floor in February, Tapestri, a small plates restaurant and wine bar on the ground floor and Fit Fanny Adams on the top floor.
Three years after bank staff cashed up for the last time, the building is buzzing again and Shaun Hughes, a solicitor with Swayne Johnson, said: “It’s really been an amazing transformation. We had wanted to have a presence on Anglesey for some time as part of our planned expansion and this just fitted the bill perfectly.
“We realised when we came to Menai Bridge that it was a thriving town and very much a gateway to the island but still with easy access to Gwynedd and this opening makes our services much more accessible."
Swayne Johnson, managed by Welsh-speakers Shaun and Sara Lloyd Evans, opened in February with six full-time and one part-time staff, with Fit Fanny Adams, run by mother of two Sarahjane West-Watson, and Tapestri, headed by couple Jamie Glynn and Alex Wyatt, following.
Sarahjane, a qualified personal trainer who also has up to six specialists offering a range of services covering yoga, nutrition, sports massage and osteopathy, is a former triathlete and mountain biker and she said: “It’s a lovely space and a great location and it’s even got disabled access as well."
Jamie and Alex previously ran the popular Bocca, an Italian restaurant in nearby Wood Street, but the newly-fitted out Tapestri with its 80 covers has offered them a chance to expand and Alex said: “We set Bocca up six years ago but we had outgrown it and this is a much better location.
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“The building is really fit for purpose and is more about what suits us with more space, a brand new kitchen and a shift in style to small plates with more of a Mediterranean flavour than purely Italian.
“We employ about ten people and source most of our produce locally and while we are currently open from Thursday to Saturday, we do plan to open all week from the spring.”
Swayne Johnson managing director Sarah Noton sees the way the Old Bank Building has been re-purposed as a template for the redevelopment of town centres and she said: “Where there was once one traditional business here there are now three, each offering different services.
“We see this as a very positive move in the way to regenerate our town centres and it certainly works for us and it is playing its part in the ongoing regeneration of Menai Bridge as a busy, thriving and welcoming town.”