Arc Inspirations, the leading bar operator of a number of fast-growing brands including Manahatta, Banyan Bar & Kitchen and The Box, is investing £1.5m to open Banyan Bar & Kitchen in Newcastle, its first site in the North East.
The two floor and 10,000 square foot site will take the group’s thriving portfolio of bars to 19, when it opens next year in a prime city centre location on Blackett Street, near Eldon Square shopping centre. The former Jamie’s Italian site will take the number of Banyan Bar and Kitchen sites to nine, joining six bars across West Yorkshire and two in Manchester.
This latest opening demonstrates Arc Inspirations’ ambition to grow its portfolio across the UK, targeting major cities with its strategy of operating sites in clusters, with several venues located in close proximity and complementary to each other.
The Newcastle opening will create around 70 jobs and follows the same successful model as its existing sites, serving a wide range of quality all day dining dishes, such as its renowned energizer breakfast, famous powerbowl salads, Swaledale Steak and Ale pie and generous sharing platters, to name a few. Arc Inspirations will work with a number of local suppliers to ensure its menu is keeping with local provenance.
On the drinks front a selection of draught beer and cider, featuring local craft brewers, will be served alongside an extensive bespoke cocktail menu, curated by bar development manager, Mark Austin.
Arc Inspirations CEO, Martin Wolstencroft, said: “We’ve spent a considerable amount of time perfecting and tweaking our proposition and operating model, allowing our brands to trade harmoniously in close proximity. We’re confident in our strategy and keen to take our brands to new guests in new cities and feel Newcastle is the perfect location for our first site outside of Yorkshire and Manchester.
“Following our spate of new openings in recent weeks, this latest move reflects the momentum of the business and our hunger to grow. We’ll take the learnings from those openings and apply them to this new site. Looking forward, we will continue to seek out opportunities in new locations whilst keeping a laser focus on our existing bars to guarantee the strong sales and excellent customer experiences that has built our reputation over the past 20 years.”