Metro Bank has revealed its Liverpool branch will finally open 14 weeks after the originally planned date, putting the delay down to "finishing touches" being applied.
Having announced an initial launch date of December 6, the challenger bank said it had "hit a snag at the last moment", putting off its planned "grand opening party".
But it then remained shut for months, causing confusion to Liverpool residents and those passing the city centre Paradise Street store, who described it as a "mystery" .
Today, the challenger bank has revealed it will finally open on Friday, March 13 - a total of 14 weeks after the initial planned date.
The opening of the bank set to create 25 jobs and which will allow dogs, will begin with a "grand opening party" featuring stilt walkers, a DJ, face painting and popcorn.
Ian Walters, managing director of retail and business banking at Metro Bank, said: “We are delighted to finally be opening in Liverpool.
"Thank you to the people and businesses of the city for bearing with us over the past couple of months while we’ve put the finishing touches to our store. We can’t wait to show you what Metro Bank is all about – great service and convenience.”
Last year, the firm said it hoped to open 30 northern stores by 2025, creating 750 jobs, with its brand offering business, personal and private banking services.
Aiming to offer unrivalled flexibility, the company said customers will be able to visit the store, with no appointment needed, and open an account there and then.
Joe Anderson, City Mayor of Liverpool, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Metro Bank to Liverpool, giving people more choice of services.
"This is particularly important at a time when big banks are retreating from the High Street, making it harder for people to access services in the traditional way.”
According to analysis from Which?, the North West has seen the highest number of bank closures in the UK, with more than 400 branches closing since 2015.
Metro Bank said it is continuing to open stores while other banks make closures. The bank claims to have a long-standing belief in “people-people banking” – "having been built on the philosophy that whatever happens in the future of banking, people need people and value human relationships".
The Liverpool opening will be the second in the North. Unlike traditional banks, it will open between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, also opening on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
According to This is Money, Metro Bank is intending to scale back its new openings after recording a pre-tax loss of £130.8m last year.
It came after a "challenging period" for the bank that included a £900m accounting blunder .
It was announced that the original target of 71 new branches would be cut down to 24 in a bid to reduce costs.
