A business owner who is “passionate” about developing European style coffee house culture in Gwynedd has been granted a license to sell alcohol in the evening.

A premises licence has been granted to Reuben Wall, proprieter of Reuben’s coffee house – subject to conditions and ongoing planning applications.

The brand successfully operates in Bangor and Holyhead and had submitted an application to Gwynedd Council for a third location on Caernarfon High Street.

The application came before the central licensing sub-committee on Tuesday, 18 November.

Mr Wall through his agent Stewart Gibson had called for an extension to the 15 seater coffee shop’s opening hours until midnight and for the sale of alcohol.

But the sub-committee granted hours of opening from 8am till 12 midnight seven days a week, with terminal hours for selling of alcohol at 11.30pm, off and on the premises – subject to planning approval.

The application prompted some objections from environmental health over the potential for noise.

Officer Ffion Lewis said there was “concern they won’t be able to prevent public nuisance, once a premises receives an alcohol licence they can play music until 11pm”.

During an earlier planning process the service had given a condition to close at 6pm for this reason, she said.

She also highlighted that no noise assessment has been provided.

“There are houses and flats opposite next door and that is why we have concerns,” she said.

Since then the service had communicated with Mr Gibson, and it was proposed that conditions be included in the consent

Mr Gibson said his client was “very mindful of keeping any noise escape to the bare minimal” and that a side window had already been double glazed and the frontage was in progress.

“Coffee is not appealing to the public at eight or 9pm at night, this is to make the business work for the applicant,” he said.

Mr Wall “wouldn’t and couldn’t compete with all the bars in the area already. He is looking to create a quality venue, a relaxed place with background mood music, where people can sit, have a chat, meet friends and socialise in a friendly atmosphere”.

He called for a terminal hour of 12 midnight, not to be used every day but to offer “flexibility depending on demand” and noted that any activities beyond 11pm, would have to go through the temporary events notice process anyway.

He added there were no local residents objecting but was happy to put forward a noise impact assessment.

“I rather suspect this will be required by the planning application, in any event we will happily put one forward, but I would say grant the application subject to the application being aligned with the two planning applications we have”.

Reuben Wall added: “We’re not trying to do something that will be noisy. It’s not a rowdy pub, it will be a coffee shop that runs at night.

“We already operate in Holyhead and and at Bangor, we’ve seen a massive drive in improving the Upper Bangor area, we’re extremely popular.

“Caernarfon was the next place I thought, right, this is a special place, a UNESCO heritage site, and inside the castle walls.

“Something I say to everyone, I sound like a broken record, but why we go on holiday to France, Italy and Spain, is for the experience of these sorts of places, the coffee shop bars.

“We are not talking about a late night boozer, a Wetherspoons, we’re talking about bringing café culture into the evening.

“We want to create something of a third space, not work, not home, a place where people can come visit sit, talk, have these sort of experiences, I think this is the perfect place”.

The licensing application was granted subject to planning approval and conditions.