A Kingston café owner hoping to open a tiny tapas bar next door has faced backlash from neighbours worried about noisy customers waking them up at night. The plans have split locals, with many excited but some fearing they will be disturbed despite the venue in Surbiton only having space for 13 customers.

Giulio Merea opened a second London branch of The Roasting on Hook Road in 2021 and has been praised by locals for serving the best coffee in the capital. He now wants to open a tapas bar in a small venue next door but objectors have raised concerns about noisy customers if the booze licence is granted.

Kingston locals wrote to the council objecting to the new bar. One resident raised concerns the value of nearby homes would decrease and that their sleeping patterns would be disturbed. They said: "I am concerned by the likely increase in drunken and disorderly individuals attempting to use the premises… the issue of personal safety of nearby neighbours and those alighting at the adjacent bus stop must be taken into account."

But Giulio's wife Gabriela told the council's licensing committee on Tuesday (October 4) the bar will only have a few tables inside and two outside, with capacity for 13 customers at best. She said they felt "really sad" at some of the objecting comments and that they would manage customers well.

She said: "We've got cameras outside, staff have been trained. It's a really, really tiny place. It's meant to be really cosy. We are sort of applying to get our best reviews so… we don't think it's going to affect the area – actually it's going to raise the value of the area."

She added: "If people want to get drunk surely they won't be coming in a restaurant they'll be going to Tesco's or whatever which are open until late or the off-licence just next door to us." 

Gabriel Abulafia, who lives 50 yards from where the bar would be, told councillors The Roasting has become a "buzzing part of community life". He said this success showed what the new tapas bar would be like and added that Mr Merea would manage the venue responsibly.

The new bar will be allowed to sell booze from 11am to 11pm from Mondays to Saturdays and until 10.30pm on Sundays, closing at 11.30pm, if the licence is granted. Customers would only be able to drink booze outside until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9pm on the other days. The bar would shut on Sundays and Mondays under current plans but would be allowed to open on those days if it wished to with the licence.

Richmond Council's licensing committee will decide on the application.