Eclectic opens a second Sakura

Eclectic, the bar group which owns the Po Na Na chain, will open its second Sakura brand outlet in Gun Street, Reading, Berkshire, today, on the site of the company's former Fez club.

Sakura — Japanese for cherry blossom — will have a capacity of 593 spread over three levels and has been developed at a cost of £1m.

"The venue, although it's on the same site as Fez, is effectively a new business," says Eclectic managing director Reuben Harley.

"We're aiming to follow the model of the first Sakura in Lincoln by offering a mix of indie, house and dance music to appeal to the discerning student market in the week, and cater to a more mainstream weekend trade.

"We're bringing a West End feel to Reading by way of a stylish and sophisticated environment."

Sakura's drinks menu will feature low-abv cold sake, offering 30 different flavours created and mixed in-house.

The company is currently exploring the possibility of marketing Sakura sake through national and regional stores. Eclectic Bars owns and operates 13 bars and clubs in key UK towns and cities. "We are looking to expand the company exponentially and would see ourselves eventually operating around 20 bars and 20 clubs," says commercial director Roger Dyer.

The company is actively seeking acquisition opportunities for venues of up to 600 capacity in towns with a strong student population, with Dyer citing Durham, Exeter, Sheffield and York as example targets.