A 100-year-old bank in the Vale of Glamorgan is set to be transformed into a 1920s inspired all day dining destination and bar.
The Old Bank will open in an imposing Bath stone building in Dinas Powys which operated as a bank for more than a century from 1914 until it closed its doors in 2017.
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Owned by Antony Obaid and his two business partners John and Lucy Mcquade, who all live in the Vale of Glamorgan, it’s the first hospitality venture for the trio. Antony previously worked in national sales for Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, whilst John has a property development business and Lucy has a hairdressing background.
When the Old Bank reopens to the public in April, the 64-seat all-day bistro will be open for coffee, breakfast, brunch and lunch seven days a week. On Thursdays to Saturdays they’ll stay open for dinner and on Sundays roast dinners will be served until the early evening.
"From half past eight in the morning our all-day menu will include things like a full English, poached eggs and avocado on sourdough, posh bacon sandwiches, and halloumi with guacamole,” said Antony.
The Old Bank's evening menu will offer a selection of sharing small plates such as sliced sirloin steak with chimichurri dressing, truffled mac and cheese, parmesan fries and chargrilled prawns.
Antony also feels particularly passionate about The Old Bank’s Sunday lunch menu which will be served until 6pm.
"This is where I want to focus so much of my energy. I eat out every single Sunday, and I get frustrated because more often than not, after three o'clock I can't find a place that's still serving a really good Sunday roast because last orders go through the kitchen at half past two."
Having operated as a bank until just five years ago, the building is currently undergoing a huge renovation process.
"We've knocked walls down, pulled floors up and knocked down and rebuilt ceilings. The windows and the doors are all going to be replaced to be in keeping with the original character of the building,” said Antony.
Working with well-known local interior designer, Tim Rice, who’s previously created the looks for the Purple Poppadom, the Coorp and TukTuk, The Old Bank’s decor will be inspired by the boom times of the Roaring Twenties.
There’ll be Art Deco lighting, velvet green furnishings, a vintage photo booth, a grand bar with a marble worktop, deep dark brown colours on the wall, and patterned wallpapers to add flashes of colour.
“The reason we've pitched ourselves there is because the bank started operating in 1914 when the building was built. Then in the Roaring Twenties when the First World War was over, people started taking a completely different perspective on life,” said Antony.
“We kind of feel that’s where we are now having been through this crazy pandemic over the last couple of years. We want to go back to that bygone time of saying, okay, we've ridden the storm and now we're in today's decade of the 20s."
Another key feature of The Old Bank will be their marble-topped bar with a mixologist serving an extensive selection of cocktails.
“The bar is the big focal point of the project. When you walk in, you're gonna see this beautiful bar with Art Deco pendant lights and glass shelves with all the spirits on them.
“We want the mixologist to inspire our customers so you can come in and say ‘I want something fruity and I like my drinks served in a long glass, what have you got?’”
One of the challenges which Antony is currently facing is how to remove the bank’s original vault.
"There's a huge vault in the basement which we still haven't figured out how we're going to get out. It’s absolutely huge, I don’t know how they got it in, never mind how we’re going to get it out, but where there’s a will there will be a way."
Once it is finally removed, the space will be transformed into a staff area with a plasma TV, shower, changing rooms, coffee machine and charging points. It’s all part of Antony’s goal to ensure he has a happy and motivated team.
"To keep people motivated they've got to feel valued. So as much as I want this to be an amazing place for our customers to visit and feel at home, this is about making sure that we recruit a team of people who are happy, feel engaged and that they're working in a great place.”
Antony is hopeful that The Old Bank will be a welcome addition to the local community.
“Every day, I'm stopped 20 times by people walking past wanting to pop their head in. They're so excited. I think people are excited that they're getting a place they can go for something to eat at a time of the day where they can't at the moment.
"There is nowhere across the Vale, never mind just Dinas, unless you go into Cardiff city centre that is going to have the finish and interior that we're going for here. We've gone all out as a desirable, aspirational destination for people.
“We're just gonna bring something completely different and something completely fresh to the area whilst restoring the character of a building that's 108 years old.”
Whilst the Old Bank is the trio’s first hospitality business, Antony hopes that they’ll be able to transform more old buildings in the coming years.
"We've started with a vision as to what we see for ourselves happening in the next 12 months, three years, five years and we're hoping to ignite some energy back into a few other buildings like this that have been derelict for a long time, maybe in the heart of communities around Cardiff and the Vale. That's the longer term vision."
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