New Marisco Lounge set to open at Scarborough's former Pizza Express next week

Builders are still hard at work at the Sandside venue.

Marisco Lounge was granted planning permission to renovate the empty Pizza Express building back in February.

The new restaurant and bar is expected to open next Wednesday, July 7 with builders "finishing off" work at the venue.

Last year, Loungers UK Limited confirmed it intended to move into the vacant Pizza Express building in Sandside to open the latest in its Lounge franchise of bars.

Building work is still underway at Marisco Lounge ahead of its' launch next week.

The company, which also runs the Cosy Club brand, has been granted a premises licence by Scarborough Council that will allow for the sale of alcohol seven days a week from 10am until 00.30am.

Pizza Express closed its Scarborough branch in August last year, five years after opening.

Though it appears considerable building work is required before the venue can open, a Marisco Lounge spokesperson said: "Our build team are very experienced and pull everything together in no time - they're heroes!"

New exterior signs are set to be installed on Tuesday.