Major expansion planned for popular pizza café Aromi

A popular Cambridge pizza café could be in line for a major expansion as they look for more space in their flagship city centre shop.

Aromi, a café specialising in Sicilian cuisine, is a Cambridge favourite with three premises in the city.

They first opened in the city in 2013. Now, there are plans to expand their Bene’t Street eatery in the city centre to include the next door property and its basement. The expansion will mean more space inside the restaurant.

Cambridge City Council has received an application to convert the ground floor and basement of number two Bene’t Street and to join it with the building which currently houses Aromi, a popular pizza restaurant in Cambridge city centre. The two units will operate as a single café.

According to a design access statement submitted by Bidwells along with the plans: “The proposals will ensure the unit at 2 Bene’t Street retains a vibrant and engaging use which will contribute to the vitality of commercial heart of Cambridge.”

The café is in Bene’t Street which, according to Bidwells, is “one of the city’s coldest streets”.

While it is acknowledged the plans will have an impact on the “historic fabric” of the buildings, the statement says the scheme has “sought to reduce the impact” on the listed buildings.

Neighbours have until March 28 to respond to the plans. The application is set to be discussed by Cambridge City Council’s planning committee before April 29.