A WORKINGTON bar and restaurant is thriving only months after opening.

The Garden, on Steelmans Walk, has been "very busy", according to its owner, Paul Mcgee.

Paul owns The Garden with his wife and business partner Ashleigh.

Paul said: "It’s been very busy. Especially at dinnertime.

"Breakfasts are still quite but Sunday dinners are picking up. We’ve started doing Sunday lunches.

"Some people just don’t want Sunday lunch so we’re putting on different aspects of the menu like jacket potatoes and sandwiches."

While its food is popular, The Garden has also been open in the evening from Thursday through to Sunday.

Paul said: "Night times are busy. Thursday and Sunday are steady but Friday and Saturday are chock a block.

"We put live music on Fridays. There used to be live music on Fridays in all the pubs but there’s not anymore, so we’re trying to get people in to listen to groups because you can’t beat listening to live music."

The venue is doing well, but it wasn't all plain sailing when Paul and Ashleigh were setting up shop.

Paul said: "Obviously when you start a new business up in a new premises, we’ve had to put a hell of a lot into it.

"Kitchen equipment, furniture, new flooring, everything, because it was just an empty shell.

"It was just a shop basically with white tile floor."

He had been seeking assistance to help them get established.

"I tried to see if there were any grants available because we were creating more 30-odd jobs.

"I was battering my head against a brick wall trying to get grants to pay for everything. There was nothing there which miffed me a little bit because they usually give grants out here, there and everywhere."

With a wide variety of people coming into The Garden, Paul puts some of the success down to his other ventures.

"We serve the Hungry Caterpillar food in there as well which is very popular now.

"And also we’ve just opened the little café in Keswick for the Hungry Caterpillar.

"So wherever we have the Hungry Caterpillar menu it’s going to be popular."