A Norfolk company that designs and makes furniture for the restaurant, bar and hotel market is to open up its first high street store.

Warings Furniture, based in Larling, near Attleborough, boasts JD Wetherspoon, Pizza Express and Vodka Revolution among its clients, and in June it plans to open its first retail shop in Crystal House, the site of the old Kellers store in Cattle Market Street, Norwich. After more than 200 people applied for jobs at the new store, the company yesterday held a special first interview day open to all for the positions of store manager, two full-time sales assistants and some part-time sales assistants.

Rachael Waring, joint managing director of Warings Furniture, said: 'Warings is 25-years-old this year. We are traditionally a contract furniture manufacturer for the restaurant, hotel and pub market with clients like JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Express.

'The domestic retail market tends to follow trends from this market a few years later, but we are instead hoping to bring the current trends to the high street now. The store will give people access to some really contemporary pieces of furniture that are not available at all in Norwich at the moment. We want the store to have a real vibe and energy to it. We are also going to have a coffee shop downstairs, and if we get the licence we hope to have outdoor seating too. We feel privileged to be opening in Crystal House. It is a fabulous, iconic building which will show off the furniture really well.'

Mrs Waring said the company held the open first interview day yesterday after receiving the biggest response it had ever had from a recruitment drive.

'The prospect of trying to pick out the true gems from all the CVs was practically impossible with in excess of 200 applicants,' she said.

'This way everyone got the opportunity for an interview.'

She said there were about 40 people queuing for an interview before the doors opened yesterday, and they saw about 115 people over the day. Twenty-two applicants from yesterday's event went through to the next stage of the interview process. Gillian Burr, 52, from Thorpe St Andrew, attended yesterday's interview day. She said the open day was a good idea because it gave applicants a chance to meet the employer face-to-face at an early stage in the application process. Warings Furniture plan to have another open interview day soon for the coffee shop staff vacancies.

Are you opening up a new business? Call Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk

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