A Halkett Street eatery has been given the green light to host occasional DJs or musicians after two licensing applications received approval.
LuMa Café successfully secured a variation to its third-category licence, removing a condition that restricted the premises to background music only, following a St Helier Parish Assembly.
Speaking to the Assembly, owner Matt Daly explained that the restriction first had to be removed before the business could apply for a Bailiff’s Annual Entertainment Permit.
He also confirmed there were no residential properties above or immediately surrounding the café, only other businesses.
Approval was also granted for a Bailiff’s Annual Entertainment Permit, allowing the café to host solo performers such as DJs and acoustic musicians.
Under the approved permit, entertainment will be limited to no more than once a week and is expected to take place predominantly on Friday or Saturday evenings.
The permit allows entertainment for private closed-door functions, such as birthday parties, during the venue’s licensed hours.
Mr Daly told parishioners that the café was not intended to become a music venue and that any entertainment would be occasional.
He said the venue’s sound system had already been trialled, with no noise audible from the street.
He added that the once-a-week limit reflected advice from the authorities to make the application as specific as possible.
Both applications were approved unanimously.
The changes mark the latest step in LuMa’s ambition to create a venue centred not only on food but also on music and creativity.
When the café opened earlier this year, founder Matt Daly said the concept had always been about creating an experience rather than simply another eatery.
“We spent two months developing the menu, developing something new and different with a different sort of vibe,” he said at the time.
Developed alongside head chef Mat Jolly, LuMa has positioned itself as an all-day dining venue serving everything from breakfast and speciality coffee to New York-style sandwiches, smash burgers and evening street food.
Music has been a key part of that identity from the outset. Both Mr Daly and Mr Jolly have backgrounds in the music industry, with Mr Jolly also performing as a DJ around the Island.
“We’re trying to create somewhere that feels like a place you’d go to in London or Brighton,” Mr Jolly said previously. “Not just a standard café.”
The café’s branding, interiors and soundtrack were all designed to create what the pair described as a distinctive atmosphere inspired by punk culture, art and contemporary hospitality trends.
Mr Daly previously said the aim was to fill what he saw as a gap in Jersey’s food scene while giving customers a different kind of hospitality experience.
