Arc Inspirations, the fast-growing bar operator of leading brands including Manahatta, Banyan Bar & Kitchen and The Box, has announced plans to open a Manahatta in Newcastle on Collingwood Street.
The news, which comes a week after it announced its first site in Newcastle, a Banyan Bar & Kitchen site on Blackett Street, graphically illustrates the company’s strategy to roll out its complementary portfolio of brands in clusters, targeting key Northern cities.
Building momentum from the successful opening of three new sites across Manchester and Leeds over the past 6 weeks, the proposed new Manahatta site will open subject to a pending licensing application and will employ 70 staff. It will take Arc Inspirations portfolio of bars and bar-restaurants to 21.
Split over two floors of a Grade-Two listed building, the impressive 10,000 sq. ft site will feature a restaurant, cocktail bar, and two private dining rooms. The interior will be lovingly renovated in keeping with the brand’s iconic glamourous ‘downtown chic’ look and feel.
With a planned opening date of September next year, the New York-style premium bar-restaurant concept will offer brunch, lunch and an evening American-style menu, alongside a vast array of cocktails crafted by Arc Inspirations’ bar development manager, Mark Austin, and the award-winning team from the American bar in the Savoy hotel. Wherever possible local suppliers will be used.
Arc Inspirations CEO Martin Wolstencroft, said, “This is a very exciting time for the business as we look to ramp up our expansion and take our brands to new cities across the UK. We have refined and perfected the proposition of our core brands – Manahatta, Banyan Bar & Kitchen and The Box – so that we can open them in close proximity within a city with confidence they will trade harmoniously.
“The overarching theme behind all of our brands is creating memorable experiences for customers. To do this, we place a great deal of time investing in our teams, offering clear career progression and a fun and vibrant atmosphere to work in. A major focus of mine will be to preserve this as we grow our estate.”