“FRASCATI’S LTD.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 369, 10 March 1932, Page 6

“FRASCATI’S LTD.”

Continental Atmosphere to Cashel Street. Business is doing its best to transform the English Old World flavour of Christchurch. It has given the city Spanish Mission theatres and a Spanish Mission street, a Venetian promenade, and a Continental atmosphere is to be added to Cashel Street in a fortnight’s time when an Italian restaurant and cabaret bearing the name of “ Frascati, Ltd.”, will be opened. The premises formerly occupied by the Economic Ltd. will be used in the company’s business, and all three floors as well as a roof garden will be occupied. Sweets, cakes and other confectionery will be sold on the ground floor, which is to be equipped with a modern marble-fronted soda fountain and electric refrigeration. On the first floor it is intended to have a tea-room, seating 240 people. Part of the room can be curtained off for the purpose of private parties. An orchestra will play every afternoon in the tea-room, while there will be a jazz band in the dance-hall. A novel feature in connection with the music, which it is believed is possessed by no other place, is the installation of a sound system which will enable music to be heard throughout the building on every floor. It is intended to hold a the dansant every afternoon, to which admission may be gained by invitation from the management. The large dance-hall on the second floor, which measures 63 feet by 49 feet, will be let for banquets, weddings and dances, and on the nights when it is free, the company itself will hold dances and entertainments there. The roof garden on the top of the building w'ill be furnished with palms and coloured lights, while a special floor will be laid down for dancing on summer evening's. The remainder of the roof will be occupied by the kitchens and a large covered-in lounge, which will be furnished in Eastern style. The interpretation of the furnishings has been left in the hands of a local firm, and the whole building will be prepared and conducted with a definite Continental atmosphere. The design of the ground floor will be changed, and the present shop-windows adapted to a novel style. The whole enterprise will impart a distinctly novel flavour to the city’s principal shopping centre. —6.