A new wine and whisky lounge in Ayr has moved closer to opening after licensing officials approved its application with a condition removing a shared outdoor area from the licensed premises.
Carrick + Stone is being proposed by Dominic and Angela Soocoormanee at 29-32 Queens Court in Ayr town centre. The plans cover a lounge, restaurant and daytime coffee operation, with the applicants seeking an on-and-off-sales provisional premises licence.
What is planned for Carrick + Stone?
Documents submitted to the licensing board describe the venue as a high-quality, well-managed hospitality business focused on table service and seated consumption of food and drink. Its main activities would be serving alcohol for consumption on the premises, alongside food, coffee and other non-alcoholic refreshments.
Off-sales would be limited to incidental purchases of sealed premium wines and whiskies connected to the main on-sales operation. The proposal is not intended to operate as a nightclub, vertical drinking establishment or high-volume drinks-led bar.
Entertainment would be limited to low-level background music and occasional small-scale events. The examples given include tastings, supper clubs and private functions.
The proposed hours are 10am to 12.30pm for on-sales and 10am to 10pm for off-sales. The venue would have capacity for 95 people.
Why the outdoor space raised concerns
At the council licensing board meeting on Thursday, August 20, the applicants said the project would bring back into use a building that had been vacant for five years. They also said they were seeking planning approval to refurbish it while keeping the layout as close to the original as possible.
The business is intended to focus on quality wines and whiskies, small plates and sharing platters in a quiet setting. An outside area was also proposed, described as a secluded shared space that customers could use under the business’s control and oversight.
Councillor Bob Pollock supported the application generally but raised what he called “grave concerns” about licensing the common area outside the main doors. He said it already contained seating, was a public through-way and could be used by members of the public and children. He also warned that licensing the space could create a precedent.
The applicants accepted they could be creating a precedent and indicated they were flexible about the outdoor area. The board subsequently approved the application on the condition that the licence would not cover the shared common area.
The proposed lounge still requires planning approval for refurbishment before the business can open. The licensing decision clears the application’s main licensing hurdle, but does not itself confirm an opening date.
