The Best Guide for the Neston Area

As One Door Closes Does Another One Open?

Elephant Bank have announced the immediate closure of their popular venue. 

Elephant Collective is a local company born and bred, one that could be credited with bringing café culture to Neston.

The brand has three local venues including the Elephant Bank restaurant, and Elephant Coffee house, both in Neston, and Elephant Lounge in Parkgate. Additionally their Elephant Outpost coffee van is parked at Cheshire Oaks designer outlet. They are also planning to open up their coffee roastery venue at The Cross, in Neston. 

At the end of March 2023, it was announced that Elephant Coffee would move from their existing home at 35-37 High Street, which remains open as normal, in to the previous John Evans shoe shop. This is a larger venue that will require additional staffing and building work is progressing at pace.

Archive image of the Elephant Bank restaurant.

Unfortunately the Collective has announced the immediate closure of their Elephant Bank restaurant. On Tuesday, 20 June, on social media, the team said: "We are absolutely devastated to be writing these words.

"After 7 years in the heart of Neston, we're bidding farewell to Elephant Bank.

"We still remember the day we first opened our doors to our restaurant, brimming with excitement with a burning passion for creating a space where local people could gather, share delicious food and create long lasting memories.

"The decision to close Elephant Bank was not an easy one. It was a culmination of sleepless nights, soul-searching conversations and the sad realisation that we could no longer withstand the burden of the ever-increasing expenses. It is a decision we never thought we'd have to make, but the challenges within the restaurant industry, which have been increasing every month since the pandemic, have now left us with no other choice.

"We've been reflecting on all of the brilliant memories we've created together - from witnessing those awkward first dates, families celebrating milestones and friends reuniting over plates of food. We just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have supported us since we first opened the doors to Elephant Bank.

"All of our other sites - Elephant Coffee Neston, Elephant Lounge Parkgate and Elephant Outpost Cheshire Oaks remain open as usual, and Elephant continues to be a growing company with exciting plans in the works.

"Elephant Bank is unfortunately closing it's doors immediately from this evening..."

In addition to this news, Elephant have further made an application to Cheshire West and Chester Council for the grant of a premises licence at 7 The Cross (CH64 9UB), for the supply of alcohol on and off the premises (Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 23:00, Sunday 10:00 to 22:00); Performance of live music (Sunday to Thursday 16:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday 16:00 to 23:00); and Performance of recorded music (Monday to Saturday 08:00 to 23:00, Sunday 08:00 to 22:30), suggesting that the new Elephant Coffee offering may provide additional services compared with the current set-up, and extended opening hours that would require additional manpower.

We wish the Elephant Bank team all the very best in whatever comes next. It is fair to say that many are grateful for the vibrancy that the Elephant businesses have brought to the Neston area.

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