Popular chain plans to turn former Ulster Bank building in Cork City into cafe
The former Ulster Bank building on Winthrop Street.
A former Ulster Bank building in Cork City could be reborn as a cafe under new plans lodged with Cork City Council.
Sprout & Co Kitchen Ltd has applied for permission to revamp No 17 Winthrop Street, which has been vacant since the closure of Ulster Bank in April 2023.
In June 2023, it was reported the branch had been listed for sale, and in April 2024, a year after closing, the Irish Examiner revealed Ulster Bank had sold the Winthrop Street branch along with another city centre branch, which had been located on St Patrick Street.
This planning application seeks permission for the change of use of the ground and first floors of the Winthrop Street building from financial services to cafe use, and also includes the addition of new signage.
If approved, it would represent the first Sprout & Co Kitchen in Munster.
The chain has several outlets in Dublin and one in Kildare Village. Its founders credit a stint at Cork's famous Ballymaloe Cookery School among the reasons they wanted to set up Sprout & Co Kitchen, which focuses on salads and other healthy foods.
Elsewhere in the city, Lidl has submitted plans to develop a coffee kiosk at its Ballyhooly Road site.
Lidl Ireland GmbH has lodged a planning application with Cork City Council seeking permission for the works, which would be located in Ballyvolane.
The proposal sets out an ambition to develop a single-storey freestanding cafe kiosk within the Lidl site.
If approved, the kiosk will serve takeaway foods and non-alcoholic beverages.
To make space for the kiosk, the supermarket would remove five car parking spaces.
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