With the opening of its new Brothers Caf, Trimingham's is no longer hoping just to lure shoppers - but also those after a quick snack, a leisurely lunch or chat over coffee.

The caf, although tucked away in the Front Street department store's third floor, can seat up to 62 people. And the caf, named as a play on the store's official name of Trimingham Brothers, caters to every meal with its hours being the same as the store's hours of 9am to 9pm Monday through Friday and until 6pm on Saturday.

Although head chef and manager Rebecca Haak said the menu for the restaurant - which opened two weeks ago - is evolving, it already boasts pastries, coffee and espresso drinks, bagels, soups, salads, sandwiches, savoury pies, wraps and dessert, too.

And down the line, Ms Haak said the caf hopes to also have a much broader dinner menu including sushi and pasta dishes.

Chris Trimingham's vice-president sales, said when the company closed down its long-running Botanic Garden Restaurant last October it was with the intention of revamping the facility. But the store's busy Christmas season precluded its renovating the space immediately, with the project pushed off until this July.

Two months later the new space opened bearing little, if any, resemblance to its predecessor. With its bright yellow walls, deep blue wainscoting and red trim you could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere far away - the Caribbean, Provence?

Mr. Trimingham said: "We knew it (the restaurant) needed an update, in its decor, its menu. We were at the point that we needed to invest in the physical plant," he said. He added that so far the reception from the caf's clientele had been "great".

"A lot of our clientele missed the restaurant, and we had people coming to saying they were looking forward to our re-opening," Mr. Trimingham said, adding that he thought the new caf was a step up on customer expectation.

Another plus for the new caf, according to both Mr. Trimingham and Ms Haak, is that they are carrying the popular and locally roasted Rock Island coffee and espresso. The store will also be selling Rock Island coffee beans by the pound and loose teas.