Opportunity for leisure bosses

12/05/2010

HULL’s Old Town is set for a new look with a number of sites offering leisure operators the chance to share in the success of the latest bar.

Lick Bar opened in March and has fulfilled the promise made by its owners to bring something different to Hull’s bar and restaurant scene.

Aimed at the over-25s and professional people working in the city centre, the new venue is part of the expanding Goulbourne portfolio, which includes the Weir Bar and Grill, in Hessle, and the Newland Avenue bars Zest and Koo-Bar.

The operators are well known for taking a stylish and innovative approach to their outlets. Koo-Bar offers private party booths with table service and even has mini TV screens built into the back of the beer taps – ideal if it’s your round when football scores are updating!

Alfie Goulbourne, general manager of the family company, said the idea of Lick Bar is to bring some new ideas into the city centre.

“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,” he said.

“We’ve got a vision of opening quite a number of bars in the city that will reinvigorate the economy and get people to come back into the city centre.”

Simon Grainger, retail and leisure specialist at Garness Jones, said the opening of Lick Bar as part of the City Exchange development in Alfred Gelder Street will pave the way for further projects.

“The company opened the Weir Bar and Grill in 2008 to bring a more sophisticated style of drinking to the area and it was an immediate success,” he said.

“Lick Bar aims to build on that, in particular by attracting people in to relax after work. We have a number of other sites in the area that have the potential to change the leisure landscape.”

Established Old Town sites that are currently available include the former Pizza Express restaurant in Lowgate and the Baltic Wharf on the Marina.

There is also restaurant space in the City Exchange building and there are new opportunities in High Street and Silver Street.

Elsewhere In the city centre, Garness Jones has a client who is close to securing a licence for a nightclub in Baker Street.

Paul White, who specialises in office developments at Garness Jones, said many former business premises would be ideal for use as bars and restaurants.

“The Goulbourne family have shown a distinctly different style of operation with the Weir, Zest, Koo-Bar and now Lick Bar,” he said.

“It’s all about giving customer’s choice and offering them something different.

“We think these new opportunities in the city centre can do that and can also generate benefits by creating a cluster of quality bars and restaurants.”    

Links

Garness Jones

 www.garnessjones.co.uk