Kendal: Is the town booming? New businesses and eateries open

These are the ones that have opened recently:  

Araya Thai Restaurant, Highgate 

The new restaurant replaced the former Jintana, which closed earlier this year. Since it opened in the summer, manager Firiwan Benz said the response had been 'amazing.' She said even on weekdays "we are getting lots of customers" because of events at the Brewery Arts Centre bringing people into town for the evenings. 

Araya Thai opened shortly after the closure of Jintana (Image: Araya Thai) Lakeland Artisan, Kendal Fell Business Park

Last year Geoff Monkman closed down the Lakeland Artisan shops across Cumbria and Lancashire due to having to manage the business on his own following the tragic disappearance of his wife Mary. 

However, he announced in June that a shop would open in the factory where the products are made. He said this was due to 'customer demand.' 

The Lakeland Artisan range on offer at the factory shop (Image: Geoff Monkman) Chicken Hut, Finkle Street

The takeaway opened on the site of the former Finkle Street Fish and Chips on April 25. Owner Bilal Dilatmaz said it was the first chicken shop to open in the town since the closure of KFC in 2019. 

He said: "I want to give Kendal some good fried chicken and nice food."

The owner of Chicken Hut Bilal Dilatmaz gives the thumbs-up on opening day (Image: Newsquest, Filipa Gaspar) Elsewhere Café and Bar, Wainwright's Yard

Taking the site of the former Slate Bar, which closed in 2020, the premises is over two-stories. The ground floor is used as the main café and bar area. The business was granted a premises licence on May 28. 

Elsewhere is split over two floors (Image: Newsquest, Daniel Pye) Crumb, Blackhall Road

The new coffee and sourdough sarnie takeaway opened on August 13 (stylised crumb.). Owner James Tucker said that it is 'bright, vibrant and on-trend.' 

"Most of our sourdough bread, including our award-winning chocolate sourdough loaf, will be baked at our in-house bakery based at Marra on Branthwaite Brow," he said. 

James Tucker is the man behind Crumb (Image: Submitted) WOW Vapes and Snakes, Highgate

The fifth store to open in Cumbria under the WOW Vapes and Snacks name, its doors swung open on Monday, September 2. 

The business stocks international sweets. Steve Kennedy, one of the directors, said that customers were more excited for Jolly Ranchers, normally only available in the US.

WOW Vapes and Sweets is the fifth outlet to open in Cumbria (Image: Newsquest, Daniel Pye) Beer and Pretzel Gaming, Highgate

The business has gone from a small table in Westmorland Shopping Centre's indoor market to having its own store in less than 18 months. 'Beer and Pretzel' refers to the style of light-hearted table top gameplay involved rather than being literal. 

"There is very little to do in Kendal on a Sunday, especially for the younger lot so I thought to myself if I can provide somewhere to play and to be out with their friends we can keep the ball rolling and have fun," owner James Gerard-Hudson said.

The interior of Beer and Pretzel Gaming on Highgate (Image: Submitted) Upcoming: 

Bootleggers, Market Place

The famous venue which has been closed for four years looked set to be back in business last month. Days before reopening, the bar announced that it would have to delay after issues were discovered with the historic building. 

Nonetheless, this is the most action Bootleggers has seen since the first Covid lockdown and it represents an exciting time for the future of live music in Kendal. 

Bootleggers was due to reopen last month but had to delay because of building issues (Image: Submitted) Kendal Kebab 'n' Grill, Highgate

The new takeaway, on the site of Fryer Tux Fish and Chips, has a sign promising to open soon. It retains the distinctive in and outdoors from the chippy and a sign boasts that it will have a charcoal-fired clay oven. 

Kendal Kebab 'n' Grill will open soon (Image: Newsquest, Daniel Pye) The Range

The UK-wide homeware and essentials store with outlets in Barrow and Carlisle announced in June that it was looking to expand into Kendal as part of a 'period of mass expansion.' It said it is looking for landlord and developer interest.

The Range store in Barrow, with an outlet in the pipeline for Kendal (Image: Newsquest)

PureGym, Queen Katherine's Avenue

The national gym chain could soon open an outlet in Kendal after Westmorland and Furness Council gave Cox Motor Group to convert part of the 'redundant' former car workshop into a gym. 

The proposed gym plans on opening 24 hours per day, seven days per week. It will be the first PureGym in Cumbria when it opens. 

The site of the proposed gym (Image: Google)