Bid to transform Santoro’s in Yarm into new venue lodged

The High Street restaurant has been closed since the family-run business made the shock announcement that it would be closing after 45 years in February 2025.

Since then, the blinds have remained pulled down with the Santoro’s sign still on display – with the unit being put up for sale months after last orders were called for the final time.

But now the space looks set to get a new lease of life as plans are submitted for ‘Balance’, a new venue featuring a café, restaurant, and treatment spaces.

Floor plans reveal that the venue would have a café and bar serving area, a grab-and-go fridge, restaurant seating, and an event space, plus a ‘hot desk snug’ at the back.

The first floor would be home to a ‘hot studio’ and three shower and changing areas, alongside two toilets and a baby chance space.

The second floor would boast a waiting area and three treatment rooms.

Details regarding exactly what ‘Balance’ will be offering from the site, if plans are approved, remain unknown at this stage.

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Interior works would involve removing modern internal fixtures such as shelving units, commercial kitchen units, and the bar before a full refurb is carried out.

A new partition wall would be erected to create changing rooms, spa, and treatment areas with mechanical changes made to make way for a new layout and facilities.

Planning documents describe the works as minor and done in a way to cause the “least harm to the historic building fabric and will be fully reversible”.

Other plans include the addition of solar panels on the roofs and replacing the signage on the front of the unit with the ‘Balance’ branding.

Santoro’s was a staple on Yarm High Street for decades, having been founded by the late Vincenzo Serino, who sadly died in 2022.

Before that, it operated as a Chinese restaurant for 20 years.

His son Ricci and grandsons, Mikey and Joe, continued the good reputation of the restaurant following Vincenzo’s passing.

The reason behind the closure was never given, but a post at the time from the restaurant said: “After a wonderful 45 years of business, we have decided to permanently close our doors.

“We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone that has supported us over the years.”

Yarm has seen a number of new restaurants open in recent years, including La Piazza in the former Barclays Bank and La Terraza in the upstairs section of Tomahawk.

In recent weeks, doughnuts firm Deep North confirmed it would be moving into the former Hobo Coffee House while patisserie Soigné is set to take over the former Fourteen Drops unit.