Cafe owner Lyn Crawford's Detour opening in Liffiton St/State Highway 3, Whanganui

Barista Tim Alston (left) will work at Springvale Cafe owner Lyn Crawford's new venture, Detour in Liffiton St.

A gap in the market has prompted a well-known Whanganui cafe owner to take a slice of her business to a new location.

Lyn Crawford, who has operated Springvale Cafe in Devon Rd for five years, is opening Detour in Liffiton St (State Highway 3), selling quality takeaway food and coffee.

"It's not a lunch bar, it's not a takeaway but there will be no sit-downs and all the food will be to take away," Crawford said.

"We'll have all the cabinet food and quality coffee we have at Springvale and will make our own quality pies. Our chefs are concentrating at the moment on making some very nice pies. We'll have takeaway salads and we'll do soups in the winter.

"We're aiming at better quality takeaway food but we'll do some sandwiches as well."

Three staff who currently work at Springvale Cafe will move to Detour and Crawford will work there herself for the first month as it gets established.

"Everything at Springvale will still be as good as it always is and Detour will be like a mini version of what we do," Crawford said.

"I feel there's a gap in the market for quality, upmarket takeaway food and Liffiton St is a really good position to be in because there's nothing around that area. We will get people who are travelling through and staff from businesses in the area."

Detour will be open 6.30am-3pm Monday to Friday. An opening date has not yet been confirmed but Crawford hopes it will be in early March.

The new business will be at 44 Liffiton St in premises formerly occupied by a takeaway shop.