AN AMERICAN diner with a branch in Friar Street could stay open until 2am, after Reading Borough Council approved its plans – but it needs to update its licensing consent.
Wendy’s, which opened in the former branch of Nationwide in 2021, has applied for permission to keep serving into the small hours on weekends.
At the moment, it closes at midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11pm the rest of the week.
In July, it applied to the council to extend these hours so it can trade from 6.30am to 2am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This was granted earlier this month, subject to a number of conditions.
While opening until 2am has been deemed acceptable by the council’s planning department, Wendy’s will require licensing consent to operate later, as the sale of food and soft drinks after 11pm is a licensable activity.
Condition 6 of the planning consent states: “This approval does not imply or give favour to the proposal being acceptable from a licensing perspective as venue licensing is considered under separate legislative requirements and in accordance with the Council’s licensing policies and objectives.
“As such, any application for licensing will be considered on its own merits.”
The approved application and conditions can be seen by searching for reference 230993 into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal.
