Hunt is on for cafe company

A NEW firm is to be appointed to run a cafe within one of Edinburgh's most popular galleries.

The city council has launched a hunt for a catering company to manage and operate the new cafe in the City Art Centre on Market Street.

The initial lease is to be for three years, with the option of a two-year extension.

It is expected that the company appointed will begin to operate the cafe from July 2010.

The City Art Centre, which houses the city's 3,000-piece collection of Scottish art, has been closed since last April to allow for a comprehensive 750,000 upgrade of its heating, lighting and ventilation systems.