A WACKY tearoom which has proved a hit with customers in Skipton is about to bring its quirky brand to Keighley town centre.

The owners of The Cake 'Ole, Richard Wilson and Neil Senior, both live in Keighley, but opened their first branch of the cafe in Skipton last May.

They now intend to give shoppers in their own town a chance to experience the business's unique, zany atmosphere closer to home.

The Keighley Cake 'Ole, which promises to be very similar to its counterpart in Skipton, opens in the Royal Arcade, Low Street, at 9am on Saturday August 1.

Partners Richard and Neil live in Long Lee and both used to work in finance.

Richard said he has not looked back since taking the plunge and radically changing career direction.

"This is the hardest job I've ever had in life but it's also the most rewarding," he added.

"Ever since I used to go the Milk Bar in Keighley with my granddad in the 1970s I've wanted to open my own quirky cafe.

"Before we opened our first place we'd looked at various venues. There was nothing suitable in Keighley then, so we opened in Craven Court Skipton."

He stressed that the business is expanding, and fully intends to keep its Skipton base once the Keighley cafe starts trading.

The Cake 'Ole specialises in creating a vintage atmosphere with a twist, serving up eye-catching, colourful, creative and imaginative combinations of food and drink.

Among the cafe's most popular products has been its indulgent six layer Rainbow Cake, sweet panini, and intriguingly flavoured milkshakes including Jammie Dodger, Oreo and even bacon with salty caramel.

Richard said: "We serve things which have a twist to them, such as lemonade in milk bottles, or tea in vintage china.

"We were inspired by the mat hatter's tea party and have all kinds of wacky decor, with the chairs painted different colours, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, a giant lion's head door knocker on the wall and the toilet decorated in a retro style.

"We've made a big impact in Skipton – we can seat 40 people inside there and we're full every day.

"The guys at the Keighley Royal Arcade told us a space for a cafe had become available and asked us if we'd be interested in coming to Keighley.

"We've spent six weeks working on the decor for the Keighley cafe, because we don't want to open in a half-hearted way.

"We'll be having a grand opening and have already taken on five members of staff who are ready to start with us on August 1."