Former discount store to be transformed into shisha lounge, restaurant and cocktail bar

A planning application has been lodged with Sandwell Council by Deniz Akgul to repurpose the former Ex-Catalogue Direct shop in Bearwood into a shisha bar, restaurant, and cocktail bar.

The proposal envisions a dual-level shisha bar and restaurant on the ground and first floors, with a cocktail bar above, accompanied by newly designed roof terraces. This initiative aims to breathe new life into the location previously known as Home Zone, a discount store for wallpaper and paint.

Included in the application are artistic renditions showcasing the proposed Nemrut Cocktail Bar signage.

The business is slated to welcome patrons from 8am to 11pm on weekdays and Sundays, with an extension to 11.30pm on Saturdays.

"The proposal suggests transforming an existing structure into two distinct areas: a cocktail bar with entertainment spaces and a combined restaurant and shisha bar," reads a statement from the application. It further details plans for aesthetic and functional enhancements to the facade, interior, and rooftop, aiming to create "a unique and sophisticated destination for dining, entertainment, and leisure."

Bearwood's New Dining Destination

Situated on Bearwood Road, this former retail space is set for a makeover into a new shisha lounge, cocktail bar, and restaurant.

The comprehensive planning application includes "proposed part change of use to shisha bar/takeaway to ground floor, restaurant/bar to first floor with rear extension and alterations to first-floor roof to create roof terrace for an external seating area with balustrade." The document also outlines plans for "a cocktail bar with entertainment space at second floor with roof extensions, dormer windows, roof terrace with balustrades and fenestration alterations to ground and first-floor side."

The venue will face the soon-to-be-constructed bedsits on Bearwood Road. Sandwell Council previously greenlit a project at 576-578 Bearwood Road to convert parts of the building into 19 bedsits with an additional two-story rear extension.

Extended Hours for Windsor Complex

In related developments, Bearwood's Windsor Complex has secured permission for late-night operations.

Home to an Indian grill, bowling alley, and arcade, the Windsor Complex on Bearwood High Street is now authorized by Sandwell Council’s licensing committee to operate until 3.30am daily.

Ahead of the June 11 licensing hearing, several residents raised concerns about noise pollution and disruptive behavior linked to the venue. Dunsford Road inhabitants fear that these disturbances will intensify due to the venue's extended operating hours.