Giving city a Lick-start

10/03/2010

Bar aims to make Hull’s centre attractive to 20-something professionals

A FAMILY who own a string of popular nightspots are expanding their business with a new bar in Hull city centre.

The Goulbourne family own the well-known Weir Bar & Grill in Hessle and Koo-Bar and Zest in Newland Avenue, west Hull.

Their company, The Weir Hessle Hessle Ltd is to open a new bar called Lick at the City Exchange in Alfred Gelder street tomorrow.

Alfie Goulbourne, general manager of the family company, said: “What we’ve recognised and what we feel as a group is that the city centre in Hull is one of the only city centres in the country that people over 25 are reluctant to go into and get involved in things.”

The Weir Bar opened in March 2008 hoping to bring a more sophisticated style of drinking to Hull and was an immediate success.

The group has expanded upon this and taken a 15-year lease on the City Exchange in a deal overseen by Garness Jones.

Lick’s target audience is the growing army of professionals working in Hull.

Mr Goulbourne believes the city centre needs more restaurants and bars to lure people in for post-work drinks.

He said: “We’ve got a vision of opening quite a number of bars in the city.

“That will re-invigorate the economy within the city and get people to come back to the city centre.”

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