The new bar will be on the site of a former Allied Irish Bank on Collingwod Street, which has been vacant for 10 years, with the development of the grade-II listed building the largest investment in the group’s history at a capacity of 500 guests and creating almost 100 new jobs.
Arc Inspirations co-founder and CEO Martin Wolstencroft said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing our Manahatta brand to Newcastle. We love the city and can’t wait to open what will be our second venue here, after Banyan.
Exceptional operator
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“It’s an extremely challenging and rigorous process to win the necessary approvals here, so to do so is a tremendous reflection on the quality of our business, our people and our operations.”
The granting of new licences in the town is rare, with Arc having to demonstrate its status as an ‘exceptional’ operator in order to overcome opposition due to Newcastle’s established ‘cumulative impact’ policy and the location of the proposed bar in a designated, so-called ‘stress’ area.
Manahatta Newcastle joins existing sites in Leeds, Manchester, York, Harrogate and most recently, Birmingham, which opened 6 months ago, while Arc operates a total of 18 premium bars under the brands of Banyan Bar & Kitchen, which also has a site in Newcastle, and BOX as well as Manahatta.
The New York-themed bar will bring the flavours of the Big Apple and iconic Manahatta experiences, including its Bottomless experience, to Newcastle featuring American brunch dishes, prosecco, and spritz cocktails.
Ambitious growth
Wolstencroft added: “Expanding our Manahatta brand in the city of Newcastle perfectly aligns with our growth strategy following our new banking agreement with HSBC, and after a record-breaking trading performance last year, both in profit and in sales.
“We’re an ambitious growth business so this win is a true testament to our strong culture, high standards, and fantastic teams.
“We are confident the Manahatta brand will be a popular addition to both the Newcastle social scene and our business, as we seek to significantly expand over the next 3-to-5 years.”