ONE of the region's best-known restaurant firms is pulling out of one of its sites.

McCoys, which operates the Cleveland Tontine, on the A19 in North Yorkshire, is leaving the Riverside Cafe at the Baltic Arts Centre, Gateshead, after a year.

From next month, Tom and Eugene McCoy and their partner, Marcus Bennett, will concentrate instead on the Baltic's Rooftop Restaurant.

Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group, will take over the riverside site. The company already operates outlets at attractions which include the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shakespeare's Globe and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Andrew Lovett, Baltic director of finance and resources, said: "These changes are an obvious and natural development. We are delighted to be welcoming Restaurant Associates to Baltic, while retaining the expertise of McCoys in the Rooftop Restaurant.

"With a proven track record in similar organisations across the UK, we are confident that Restaurant Associates will provide a fantastic experience to visitors of Baltic's Cafe/Bar and Riverside Restaurant."