by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A maths teacher is hoping the numbers will add up for a new licensed Weymouth seafront business he will run with his family.
Mr Stephen Newstead has been granted a premises licence for the Blue Sky Café at 60 The Esplanade.
The small café, with 30-40 covers, plans to offer alcoholic drinks mainly during the daytime with the occasional evening function, with permitted hours between 9am and 11pm every day.
The application asked to support both on and off-sales and described the business as “a family friendly environment”.
Mr Newstead told Dorset councillors sitting on a licensing panel that he had worked widely in the licenced trade before re-training as a teacher.
He said he hoped to run the business with his sons, opening occasionally in the evenings for food and music, mainly in the summer.
“I’ve traded for 24 years and have never had complaints, we are very open to the community we are in and wouldn’t want to upset anyone,” said Mr Newstead. He told the panel that he would be helping his family in the business mainly in the evenings and weekends.
He said he had worked in several licenced areas, at times with up to 75 staff, with his last premises before re-training, at the Greyhound, Bridport.
Asked by Cllr Les Fry how he would deal with any rowdy behaviour he replied: “I’ve treated any premises as my own front room, if people don’t behave I will ask them to leave, I’ve never had an issue with that. I won’t allow people to take over and upset other people’s night out.”
