It is a Glasgow institution, a world famous name and a key aspect of the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

However, there may be some confusion brewing around the future of the Willow Tea Rooms, which for years have stood at 217 Sauchiehall Street in the city centre.

Anne Mulhern, who has run the Willow Tea Rooms since 1983, is moving out of the landmark building to establish a new home for her cafe at Watt Brothers at 119 Sauchiehall Street.

Ms Mulhern is moving while the Willow Tea Rooms building undergoes a major £7m restoration by the Willow Tea Rooms Trust - however, her tea rooms will not be back in the historic building, and will be run as a separate entity in the future.

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Ms Mulhern owns the copyright to the name of the tea rooms, and her new cafe at the department store will bear the name of the Willow Tea Rooms.

However the Trust say the building at 217 Sauchiehall street, designed by Mackintosh in 1903, is officially the Willow Tea Rooms Building and will be still be called that after re-opening.

Ms Mulhern also runs the Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street.

The new cafe and commercial business inside the revamped Willow Tea Rooms building, however, may be given a new name.

The Trust was formed in 2014 to acquire the run-down building from its former owners in 2014, and is led by founder Celia Sinclair.

Ms Mulhern said she is "of course disappointed" to not be running the tea room when the building begins a new life in 2018.

She added: "I don't know how I am going to be on that day when we move out, it has been part of my life for so long."

She said intellectual property lawyers had assured her she owns the rights to the name of the cafe, and last night the Willow Tea Rooms Trust said they would not be pursuing the ownership of the name legally.

It does mean that two separate entities called the Willow Tea Rooms, one a cafe, another a building, will be in close proximity in the city centre.

A spokesperson for The Willow Tea Rooms Trust said: “The board wishes Anne every success in her new venture.”

The third floor space in Watt Brothers will be fully refurbished by Ms Mulhern.

Plans are in place to open up two walls of windows in the room and reinstate the original 100 year old finishes that have been hidden for many years.

The new tea room interiors will be recreated with the same lighting, furniture, finishes and feel as the original tea rooms at 217 Sauchiehall Street.

The old Willow Tea Rooms building will close on June 22 for its refurbishment, which will include essential repairs to the property, ensuring it is wind and watertight.

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Plans for the building include the re-opening of one of its key Mackintosh rooms - the Roome de Luxe - as well as exhibition space, a front and back saloon, a gallery tea room and conference space.

Ms Mulhern added: "We are so thrilled to be opening up in Watt Brothers.

"It’s a Glasgow institution and a family run business, so it is a great fit for us.

"When we found out that the repairs to our existing building meant that we would have to close for two years, we were devastated.

"We still have the Willow Tea Rooms in Buchanan Street but were keen to open near Sauchiehall Street and secure the jobs of our fantastic staff.

"It’s great that we can remain open with the same staff, same menu, same interiors and same great waitress service - just a few blocks down the street."

Willie Watt, managing director of Watt Brothers, commented: "We are a company proud of its history and we’re particularly pleased to be working with Anne and her team in including a high-quality, prestige tea room which will complement both our business and the Willow Team Rooms’ business which pays tribute to one of our city’s great architects."