First Look: Stylish new café opens after major redevelopment

The £150,000 Chaii Café on Freckleton Street, Blackburn has opened and is the latest addition to the Freckleton Business Centre off Wainwright Way.

The centre, which boasts 21 offices, a conference room and meeting rooms, became fully operational last year. As part of the plans a new café has been launched alongside the centre and will be open to all. It has created 15 new jobs for the town.

The building was formerly a warehouse which had gone into disrepair until it was taken over.

The 42-seater café, opposite the new Home Bargains store, will offer a range of hot and cold drinks and street food snacks such as chicken tikka rolls and kofta burgers. There is a special breakfast and lunch menu with the café opening from 8am until 8pm each day. There is also free parking at the site.

Presently all drinks and meals are only take-out only. Once restrictions are lifted the café is set to become stylish new centre point helping to rejuvenate the area, said the management.

Centre manager Koolsum Dudha said: “As well as offering space for meetings we are hoping it can become a focal point for the area.

“The building has gone a major change in the past few years and this area in particular was not renowned for something like this.

“You can see how much change has gone into the area and we are delighted with the look and feel of the place.

“The new road layout with traffic going both ways along St Peter’s Street has helped us and the area significantly.”

An image of the same cafe area (above) taken last August and this week

The Chaii Café was designed and fitted by local companies and work on the interior began last summer.

Koolsum added: “It has been wonderful to see the transformation and we think there is nothing else like it in Blackburn.”