FOLLOWING our report that a dessert parlour and Slaters menswear are planning to move into the former Beales site early next year, readers were quick to share their views online.

Here is a selection of what they said.

I know it as Whitakers.

steveG

You tell 'em big boy

Red September

I too thought that. Was Whitakers longer than Beales. Someone needs to tell Ish that Bolton's not at city as well...

Blackrod

The 2 parts proposed for occupation hardly make a dent in the total floor area of the building. The agents have their work cut out to fill the building. As Slaters are moving from another town centre property the net benefit is ultimately nil.

Theboltonian

Do we need another cafe in Bolton. My answer would be definitely no.

breightmet kid

But you say that about every new business that opens in Bolton. You're the genius who thought that Romans, the massive clothing chain's latest branch, was a pop up shop for Christmas. You're the bloke who whinged that a genuine pop up shop selling Christmas products would be closed by New Year. Forgive me if I don't take much notice of your skilled business forecasts!

Gerald Brown

How many dessert places can bolton possibly need

Cutler88

I don't know. Do you? But the owners of this new enterprise will have looked at the competition and other factors before investing tens of thousands of pounds.

Gerald Brown

Cheers for that but 90% of Deane Road is dessert cafes then there is 1 on every main road in Bolton!!!!

Cutler88

Dessert places are (not exclusively) for people that don't drink alcohol. If you've had to go say evening prayers and you're hungry then go there. There are a lot yes, but have you ever tried one? The Cube in Halliwell is best in town. Queues down the road. Much more content and flavour than Hungry Horses 3.95 rocky road.

Bob Vagene

Dessert cafes are a trend and in the next 5-10 year a majority will probably be gone but these guys are obviously very successful so best of luck I hope they make it a success and make breath fresh life in to this historical building.

Robjoy

You may be right but 5-10 years ago people were saying the same thing about coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, but guess what?

Town centres are now much more of a mixture of retailing and dining than they ever were. And, as one other poster told our resident negative misery guts, better a dessert parlour than an empty unit.

Gerald Brown

What would attract successful business people to invest in Bolton? If Slaters are moving then it is not a net advantage as that would leave another empty unit where Slaters was!! Good luck to them just hope that it won't be another vape or junk food outlet.

Angry bint

There must be some reason as there have been a few lately. But what people forget is that, despite competition from the Internet and out-of-town shopping centres, there is still a massive amount of money spent in town-centre shops. It may not be as much as it was ten years ago but it's still a lot more than other smaller towns.

Gerald Brown

Will people walk to the"dessert parlour" to work up an appetite or will pedestrians have to walk in the road amid a cacophony of flashing hazard lights?

labour out

And isn’t the country meant to be encouraging people to get fit sure this is making people fatter?

Cutler88