South Liverpool entrepreneur Phil Melia has vowed to bring back “class and sophistication” to one of Liverpool’s best-know thoroughfares.

Allerton Road has long been famous across the city for its bars and restaurants but Phil says that, in recent years, it has been lacking a more upmarket offering.

With his new restaurant – Verdant – the businessman aims to change this, utilising his experience and knowledge in interior design to create what he believes will be a ‘wow’ factor for anyone coming through the door.

Phil, who has already established successful businesses in furniture manufacturing, interior design and property development, said:

“I felt there was a market for something special – something a little bit unique.

“I have been saying for a long time that there is not really anything along Allerton Road that offers what it used to offer – a bit of class.

“Allerton Road has been through its bottom period now and it is the time to start building its brand back up again. A lot of people don’t necessarily want to travel into town and I wanted to give people something a little more upmarket in their own neighbourhood.”

The former St Edwards College pupil, now 29, grew up in Allerton and has run businesses since the age of 16.

While a student at Liverpool John Moores University, Phil also became a professional Thai Boxer, a discipline that fuelled his belief that life is to be tackled full-on, 100mph. He added:

“It gave me the drive and taught me about pushing myself to the mental and physical boundaries with diets, fights, everything. I took that philosophy into business.”

Phil’s approach of ‘go at it hard or not at all’ means that his heart and soul are set to go into this new venture. By day he runs 2 existing businesses and at 5pm, when most of us would be putting out feet up, Phil arrives at the Verdant site, ready to put in another shift ahead of the opening next month.

It means he is currently clocking more than 100 hours at work every week.

He explained:

“People ask me ‘aren’t you tired?’ but I just keep going. At the end of the day it is all about mentality.”