EXPANDING restaurant chain Bob & Berts wants to open its first Glasgow venue in Sauchiehall Street.

The company is hoping Glasgow City Council will agree to a change-of-use for a shop unit at B-listed 154 Sauchiehall Street.

A statement submitted to planners explains: “This unit has been vacant for some time and, if permission is granted, it will allow a vacant unit to be brought back into commercial activity with an end user already secured (Bob & Berts).

“The overall aspirations for this part of Sauchiehall Street are to create a vibrant viable destination which is attractive to tenants, employees and visitors.”

It continues: “It has been identified within various documents and strategies that there has been a significant shift in retail focus away from Sauchiehall Street for major retailers.

“This has been acknowledged in emerging policy and framework documents. It is therefore considered that there is a strong justification change of use at this location to allow flexibility in relation to bringing this long term vacant unit back into full occupation.”

Bob & Berts, which markets itself with the slogan ‘Proper Coffee — Great Grub’, started in Northern Ireland and now has four restaurants in Scotland, at Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Stirling, Falkirk and Dumfries.