Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
David Laister

Cleethorpes venue banking on cocktails in customer-led switch from bar/restaurant to club vibe

A Cleethorpes bar is banking on cocktails as it targets a bigger shot of the evening economy.

Five years on from launching in Sea View Street’s former HSBC, The Counting House is evolving. Currently closed for a significant overhaul under the Oak Ridge management who launched it, the venue will re-open on Halloween weekend with a late night bar and club vibe, maximising its 2am licence.

An extended dancefloor, more intimate feel and more functional bar are some of the key changes, with food being shown the door, and replaced with more exotic drink-focused ingredients and speciality spirits.

Read more: Private landlords invited in to wider Freshney Place redevelopment to enhance Grimsby town centre

Tom Lidgard, the third generation in the hospitality-focused family behind Brackenborough Lakes Resort near Louth and The Ashbourne Hotel at North Killingholme, said: “When we opened five years ago we saw it as a speakeasy bar and restaurant, a 50/50 split between food and drink, because that’s what we knew. From the launch night onwards we have had people up and dancing.

“We are diversifying, doing something a little different, and it is an exciting change. We’re moving with the times, led by our customers.

Night time economy: The Counting House will be looking to provide a club vibe when the clocks go back. (The Counting House)

“Cocktails have always been the best sellers for us ever since we opened, and we’re going to be delivering high quality theatrical cocktails, going bigger and better.”

Early next year will see a first floor bar emerge where the kitchen has operated from, with potential for further private events, complementing the downstairs space, where outdoor seating is to be added at the rear.

The bank’s former vault remains, switching from a VIP room to ‘Insta’ photo booth, complete with props - while a stage will also emerge as part of the refurbishment.

Opening times will push back to reflect the switch, with existing staff retained and more bartenders to be sought, with the group’s other venues to lay on food for events when required.

Read next:

Concession retail plan for Grimsby's former House of Fraser derailled

Pipers Crisps toasts lockdown lift as sales surpass pre-pandemic levels

Offshore wind O&M pioneer docks inaugural apprenticeship training in Grimsby

Laser Red launches PR addition to digital agency with former Nisa executive hire

All your Humber business news in one place - bookmark it now

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.