The opening of a new Thai restaurant in York city centre has moved a step closer.
An alcohol licence application has been lodged for Giggling Squid, a national chain serving Thai tapas, which is set to open in the former Banks music shop in Lendal.
It comes after planning permission was granted for the restaurant in May and for its signage in early June.
It is due to move into the vacant unit which was home to Banks Musicroom until it closed in February.
Banks was Britain’s oldest music shop, tracing its roots back to a store which first opened on Blake Street in 1756.
Chokdee Ltd, which trades under the name Giggling Squid, has applied for opening hours of 10am to 11.30pm all week.
It would have a licence to sell alcohol from 11am to 11pm if its application is approved.
Popular chain
Husband and wife Andy and Pranee Laurillard founded Giggling Squid in 2002, opening their first restaurant in Brighton.
Their chain now has almost 50 restaurants across the UK, including one in Harrogate, with plans to open a site in Leeds.
The menu includes curries, noodles and stir fries including pad thai, meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes and a number of different rice dishes.
There are also sharing platters including satay skewers. It also offers a selection of cocktails.
Giggling Squid first announced plans to open a restaurant in York in February.
It came around a year after Hal Leonard Europe, the owners of Musicroom which Banks was a part of, announced plans to move online and close a number of stores.
The store in York closed along with those in Edinburgh, Exeter, Lincoln, Salisbury and Stratford and its flagship store in London’s Denmark Street has also shut since.
Giggling Squid’s application is open for representations until Wednesday, 17 July.