New champagne and charcuterie lounge at Luxe Company, York

The Luxe Company, which opened its four-storey mini department store and cafe in part of the former Wallis store in Coney Street last October, is expanding to open a glamorous upstairs lounge serving champagne, wine, cocktails and food.

The business is the brainchild of Lisa Marshall and her husband Brian who already run a sister store in Harrogate and operate a successful online business at www.theluxecompany.co.uk.

Since opening last year, selling mostly homeware and gifts, the York store now sells nightwear and loungewear and has its own swimwear shop, offering some of the best brands in the market.

Owner Lisa Marshall in The Luxe Company, Coney Street, new swimwear room

A pavement cafe selling hot drinks, pastries and sweet treats opened this summer.

And on Monday, September 25, its long-awaited champagne bar will launch, called the Players Lounge.

Lisa told The Press: "Think Colonial glamour, serving throughout the day to include lazy brunch and lunch, a choice of sharing boards, accompanied by champagne, wines and amazing cocktails.

"The room will be used to host special evening events, such as to showcase artists' work and such things as our look ahead to Christmas where you will be able to eat, drink and be the first to see the new Christmas stock including wonderful Christmas decorations.

"We also intend to offer customers exclusive use of the room to host your own events, such as Christenings, baby showers, special birthdays etc, knowing your colleagues or guests will have a first-class experience."

Exterior of The Luxe Company in Coney Street, York

To mark the opening of the new Players Lounge, Lisa and Brian are hosting two VIP launch evenings on Wednesday, September 27 and Friday, September 29, both from 6pm.

Tickets cost £25 per person and include champagne, charcuterie and vegetarian sharing platters and tapas-style Pintxos as well as 20 per cent off items in the store that evening.

To book a place, you can buy a ticket from the shop; online at www.theluxecompany.co.uk/playerslounge-i63, or by telephoning

the store on 01904 862164 or Lisa on 07812 115875.

Lisa said opening The Luxe Company in York's Coney Street was a vote of confidence in the future of the high street.

Coney Street, York's historic main shopping thoroughfare, has witnessed many store closures in recent years - inline with many other parts of the country.

Champagne, wine, cocktails, and sharing platters will be available in the new Players Lounge at The Luxe Company in Coney Street

The street currently has several empty shops but has also seen the arrival of many new businesses in recent years - a sign of the changing face of the high street. A Hard Rock Cafe is scheduled to open just a few doors down from The Luxe Company.

Last year, developers The Helmsley Group unveiled its ‘Coney Street Riverside’ scheme, which imagines creating 250,000ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial and residential space, a riverside walkway and open space for the public, both on the waterfront and between the Ouse and Coney Street.