Pictured above:  (l-r) Kerrie Shaw, Yves Bouanchaud, Gaynor Cunningham and Gill Sharkie at the opening of Cunningham's Coffee Lounge

Over 80 Lenton residents, community groups, business people and students have gathered together to celebrate the official opening of Lenton Boulevard's brand new coffee bar and eatery Cunningham's Coffee Lounge.

Invited guests from the local area were able to experience the new meeting place first-hand and enjoy a selection of speciality teas and coffees, cakes and hot savouries from the menu.

Owner, local student lettings agent Gaynor Cunningham, decided to open the Coffee Lounge after working in the area for several years and realising that people had nowhere to meet that wasn't a pub or in a business park. 

"I noticed in my job that there was nowhere in the area for parents to have a coffee with their children or even a place for local residents to meet up, so I decided to open the Coffee Lounge to cater for everyone," explains Gaynor.

To help draw the local community groups into the Coffee Lounge, Gaynor is offering them discounted food and drinks and will even open especially for them, if they wish to hold evening meetings.

At the launch party, local Lenton resident of 30 years and retired local restaurateur Yves Bouanchaud, said of the new Coffee Lounge: "I really enjoy it here - it's got a friendly atmosphere and it will help bring together the different parts of the community. It's good to see something nice opening up in this great area rather than closing down!"

Gaynor and her husband Philip Cunningham will run the Coffee Lounge with Fiona Warren and Deborah Moffat.  

"We'd love to take Lenton upmarket - and change people's attitudes to the area. It's not the downtrodden place that people think it is," continues Gaynor.

"Around 25% of the community aren't students and the area is alive with longstanding residents and young professionals who chose to make it home after university."

A welcoming place to meet, with locally sourced sandwiches and paninis, homemade cakes and soups and an array of fresh coffees and teas, Cunningham Coffee Lounge is open from 9:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Saturday with planned future Sunday opening hours.