by Michelle Horst
A much-loved Hornsea family restaurant has relaunched with a lavish new look and heavenly new name.
The redesign has been a labour of love for the two owners Claude and Rasha Eid, who have invested more than £250,000 and plenty of hard work in renovating the former Med-Mex restaurant into Cloud Nine, an opulent oasis unique to the town.
The interior has been completely restyled. Middle Eastern influences work with state-of-the-art lighting, with playful cocktail menus to suit.
After 20 years of serving Hornsea as Med-Mex, an important factor of Cloud Nine’s redesign was that it suited families as well as those looking for a more exclusive experience.
“We wanted to open things up,” said Claude. “We moved the serving area, and it’s made Cloud 9 so much more welcoming.”
The wider floor space and new flooring makes it more suitable for wheelchairs and prams.
Cloud Nine’s owners were keen to upgrade and embrace new ideas to offer a unique dining experience to the area that previously required a taxi drive or overnight stay in a nearby city.
With the sophisticated design bringing a nightclub feel to the seaside town, regulars will still be able to enjoy the sunshine on the dog friendly, retiled patio to the front.
However, updating the premises did not stop there. Gone are the tired pasta menus, replaced with decadent sharers, salads and tasty curries inspired by the couple’s international travels. However, Claude was keen to ensure that the new look included something for everyone.
“One of our Japanese dishes, the chicken katsu, people are going ‘Wow, wow!’ over it.”
Family favourites such as pizzas remain an affordable option, and Instagram-ready freakshakes, crepes and waffles are there to tempt on treat days for the daytime customers. Cloud Nine is keen to acknowledge how lucky the business is to have loyal staff. Equally important to the owners is the local community, which featured heavily in the designing process.
“We didn’t want to put our prices up. I want people to be able to afford to come here and enjoy a meal.”
Those who love sports can also enjoy a drink while watching the football or horse racing thanks to leading-edge screens. Pride in the family business shines not just from the golden cutlery and polished mirrors but is obvious in the meticulous attention to detail the pair have shown.
“I didn’t want to use London suppliers for this,” said Claude, who then credited his partner, Racha, with the creative flair in Cloud Nine.
“We wanted it to be a fun place,” she said.
With Hornsea being impacted by climate change, the owners’ consideration turned to unnecessary plastic waste. Their luxury coffees are served in edible Cupffee cups.
Renovations continue into the bathrooms and the cellars, with smart dispensers for all the draught beers. Quality gins and premium beers are supported with a range of non-alcoholic drinks and fun mocktails for old and young alike.
Twenty-five businesses were involved in Cloud 9’s renovation over seven weeks.
“It wasn’t easy. It was hard, it was difficult. I feel like I’ve done something great,” Claude said. “I feel like I’ve done something important for Hornsea, to make Hornsea people proud.
“We’ve always supported the Hornsea Foundation, the Hornsea Lions, and many of the other Hornsea charities. That won’t change.”
Much thought has gone into providing something for those who enjoy the night-life with the late licence. As part of the upgrade, Cloud Nine created space for live acts, ensuring that the venue truly has something for everyone.
“I love doing this. I love being with people. I love being here,” Claude added.
With a late licence until 1.30am, Cloud Nine is part of the Pubwatch scheme. It also has a strict no-drugs policy. Cloud Nine is bound to be the venue to spend your evening this summer.
