Bijou by the Sea restaurant redesign unveiled as planning application lodged
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BOLD plans to redesign a popular Buckie coastal restaurant have been unveiled.
A planning application has been lodged with Moray Council to reimagine Bijou by the Sea at Strathlene.
Owned by David Robertson, the vision is to deliver a beautiful building which is more sympathetic to the local environment while also bringing a new class-leading restaurant and retail space. Undertaking the design work is Stewart Reid of S Reid Design of Rothes.
Bijou by the Sea has traded successfully since 2013, previously being called Aurora.
Mr Robertson said: "The intention is that the exterior of the building will be completely redone with a much more modern look.
"There will also be new exciting elements of a sheltered outdoor seating courtyard and serving hatches onto the beach for food, drinks and gelato
"The existing interior has already been totally reimagined with washed wood floors and many other features and these design elements will be carried into the new additional spaces.
"The hope is to deliver a destination building right on the North East 250 and we were delighted to receive an endorsement from Visit Moray.
"The plans for these changes were in motion pre-Covid but along with many other hospitality businesses Bijou by the Sea has been badly affected by the pandemic. In this sector the restraints of customer numbers and distancing both in terms of the public but also for staff meant that the business struggled to cope whilst under restrictions.
"The pandemic highlighted many areas that could be improved to make the business more robust going forward and these have been incorporated into the new design."
The car park adjacent to the building will also be extended, resurfaced and lit to provide a much better space for customers. More disabled and electric vehicle charging points will be available as well.
While investigating the many possibilities for the building a collaboration to bring a new exciting element to the food was a discussed with successful local couple Eddie and Linda Gray who run fish and chip shops in both Cullen and Portsoy. The new building will see them add their expertise to the existing menu giving more options for both sit in and takeaway using the best locally sourced seafood.
When work is complete the building will operate into the early evening extending the hours and offering full takeaway options as well as sit-in dining.
The restaurant will still feature the many successful elements of the last eight years with Pozzi Group still supplying all home bakes fresh daily.
The extended hours and new retail space will also mean the creation of up to 15 new jobs for the building with all existing staff retained. The investment in the business will be a significant six figure sum.
In addition to Bijou by the Sea is part of Mr Robertson's wider business interests, which include JP Pozzi Newsagents and Bijou Elgin. These businsess employ around 50 staff across all sites with an additional 30 news deliverers and have won numerous awards.
