A new cocktail bar hopes to make an "essential" change to its building to help it survive the pandemic.
The Wellhead in Bristol had barely been open a few weeks when the second lockdown commenced, after months of hard work to transform the centuries-old space.
Located at Finzels Reach, overlooking the river and Castle Park, the cosy cafe and bar specialises in coffee and cocktails.
It has now submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council, seeking permission to create a hole in the wall to use as a serving hatch.
It states: "The serving hatch is proposed in order to serve customers without them entering the building, thus reducing the risk of infection given the current COVID-19 global pandemic and the various on-going restrictions which have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Along with safety benefits, the serving hatch allows for additional serving capacity, which is essential given the reduced capacity The Wellhead must operate at.
"This minor change is part of a plan to help this new business to survive the current situation."
The window would be created on the small brick wall pictured below, immediately next to the bridge hand rail.
The bar, which is next to the large Left Handed Giant brewery, is described in the application as "very small" compared to neighbouring buildings.
According to the planning document, the buildings were founded in 1788 by Bristol Brewery Georges & Co. Ltd.
The Wellhead originally housed a mechanism to draw water from the floating harbour, which was needed for the brewing process.
Despite its historical background, the application says the impact of the serving hatch window on the conservation area will be "negligible".
The documents did not state what would be served through the hatch, but several other Bristol pubs and cafes have been successfully running takeaway alcohol services through similar means.
So-called 'wine windows' are traditional in parts of Italy, particularly in Florence, where there is even a Wine Windows Association.
Closer to home, the Clifton Observatory 360 cafe next to Clifton Suspension Bridge is among businesses already selling takeaway food and drinks through a serving hatch.
Its owner Ian Johnson is the same businessman who owns The Wellhead, and he secured permission earlier this month to continue serving takeaway alcohol there.
Addressing a council licensing committee on November 5, about his Clifton cafe, he said: "We were lucky, in a way, because we had a hatch on the side of the building that we’d been able to use during the lockdown."
He said it had been an "important lifeline" during the pandemic.
The council is due to make a decision on the plan for The Wellhead by December 21.
