'i wanted to do something that was a bit more me'

CAFE BAGGIO OPENED IN LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE EARLIER THIS YEAR 14:09, 27 May 2025 A man has spoken of his decision to transform his award-winning bar into a football-themed venue. Simon

Thompson transformed the cocktail bar Present Company into Café Baggio earlier this year. The 41-year-old made the decision to close Present Company on New Year’s Eve 2024. Located on School

Lane, the bar reopened in April as Café Baggio. Simon said: “Back in November when I sat down to plan the next 12 months, I realised that my love for it had kind of gone really. I wanted to

do something that was a bit more ‘me’. “I didn’t announce it, I didn’t want the last month of it to be sad. I wanted the last people to walk out of the door without them knowing it was the

last time.” Named after Italian football icon Roberto Baggio, Simon said he wanted to name the new café after a player that was ‘universally loved’. Article continues below He added: “It’s

been really encouraging how positive the feedback has been." Staff are encouraged to wear football shirts under their aprons while scarfs and flags from various teams adorn the walls.

Images of players such as Baggio and Ronaldo Nazario can be found dotted around the new-look café-bar, which is described as a place ‘for football romantics, by football romantics’. The

café-bar shows televised football matches, providing a more intimate space for fans to watch games. Simon said: “We’re a café and a bar. There’s loads of great places to watch a game in town

already with massive screens, but we wanted to offer something different." Simo, a lifelong Newcastle United fan, credits his childhood memories of watching football as the reason

behind the cafe’s retro aesthetic. Article continues below “I’m a child of Italia 90 and USA 94. They were my first memories of football being more widespread than just Newcastle. It

certainly forged a lot of love I had for the sport. "In reality, all of us want to be fifteen again. I think the kids who are fifteen now, will feel the same about football now, in

twenty years' time." As well as selling a selection of cocktails, beers and snacks, there is a retail area where customers can even buy retro football shirts.