The site of one of Southport’s most iconic restaurants is due to be converted into a new shop and apartments.
Tony’s Restaurant and Tony’s Pizzeria, at 50 King Street in Southport town centre, was a huge hit with diners when it became only the second Italian restaurant to open in the resort in the 1970s.
The business was owned by popular local restaurateur Antonio ‘Tony’ Sebastianelli, who ran his traditional pizzeria on the ground floor and the restaurant above.
He had previously worked at the famous Palace Hotel in Birkdale.
The restaurant offered delicious home-cooked Italian food with the walls crammed with photos of famous golfers and other celebrities who had dined at the venue over the decades.
The business closed after 39 years when Tony, then aged 76, decided to call time on 30th September 2018.
When asked why he was closing the doors at the time, he said: “Old age! We’ve been here 39 years, in the last three or four years I’ve had a few mishaps, a hip replacement and a heart bypass, and they’re all catching up with me.”
The closure allowed him time to spend his retirement with his family and friends, as well as spending a few extra hours in the garden.
The building at 50 King Street was briefly occupied by a restaurant called Sopranos but has now been vacant for the past few months.
The applicant, local businessman Chris Maerevoet, has now submitted a planning application to Sefton Council to breathe new life into the site. It would provide space for a brand new quality retail unit on the ground floor and a two-bedroom apartment on the floors above.
The plans have been drawn up by NS Architects Ltd.
In their application they said: “The application site consists of a former restaurant building, which has been vacant for some time now.
“It is the intention of this application to bring this vacant building back into life, providing a quality retail space on the ground floor and a single 2-bed apartment on the floors above.
“The proposed ground floor retail unit will provide an opportunity for a small business to join a popular street and establish themselves in the local community.
“Considering the location’s proximity to the main thoroughfares of Chapel and Lord Street, this should be a great opportunity with ample footfall.
“The building itself will remain mostly unaffected by these proposals. The only proposed changes to the external is a modern shopfront to replace the existing, including a new residential entrance, and small changes to the rear of the property not visible from the main street.”
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