One of Bristol's longest-established late-night venues Yia Mass went on the market last month after decades as a staple of the student scene. With no door charge, affordable drinks and a 4.30am licence, Yia Mass - 'good health’ in Greek - has long been a popular fixture of the city’s after-hours scene, offering a touch of the Mediterranean in the middle of Park Street.
Despite the difficult economic environment facing hospitality businesses, the bar's owner Salih Çetinoglu told Bristol Live that through careful budgeting and creating a welcoming, accessible space, Yia Mass has continued to thrive. But the time has now come for him and his family to move on.
Sal said that there’d been a strong reaction to the news that he is selling Yia Mass. He said: “I have seen people cry. And they say, ‘is Yia Mass closing down?’ and I said it's not closing down, but they say it won't be the same.
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“I have seen people who said, ‘please, we can come and support you’, and I'm so thankful. I tell them business is good, but it's just time for us to go now.
“I've seen some others with tears in their eyes, and then some of them said, ‘we met our husband here. We met our wife here. Now we got kids.’ You know Yia Mass is such a unique, vibrant place.”
Sal confirmed that he would continue operating the bar until an offer from a potential new owner is accepted. He said: "We will have a final farewell drink and do something very special, hopefully when we get to that point."
Growing up in Turkey, Sal, who came to the UK in 1996, said hospitality is something he has always been involved with. He said, “When I was a little boy, I used to go to the coffee brewing area in the city. I can still smell it. At an early age, having lost my dad, I had to start supporting my mom, so I worked in a coffee shop. Then later working in hotels.”
After working at Yia Mass, since 2005, Sal, along with his wife Nicola, said that they had reached a point in their lives where they needed a change, prompted in large part by his suffering from severe lower back pain due to two slipped discs. He now hopes to return to his roots and switch back to the daytime economy. He is currently pursuing a number of business interests, including potentially a cafe.
While he said that he’s looking forward to the change of lifestyle, the decision to move on from Yia Mass is clearly bittersweet. Sal said: ”On the one hand, your heart is willing. I love to go to Yia Mass on Friday and Saturday, and then you get all these people, and you make them happy. It's synergy. It's a mirror effect. You make someone happy, and then they make you happy.
“But our health is not permitting us [to continue]. We love our neighbours. We love our historical Park Street. I think this is the time to give the flag to somebody else. And then, perhaps once in a while, as a family, we can always pop in in the early hours. And I would like to see it because we've got so many beautiful memories.
”It's a beautiful structure, such a unique place. It's a warm building. It is small and manageable. It gave us a comfortable life, it won't make you a multimillionaire, but it will give you a comfortable life and happiness.
“In England, often we do complain, but sometimes we forget to appreciate when you're doing well. I know the cost of living and everything is going up, and we thought it was going to be really, really tough, extremely tough, but we are still doing okay. We are sure the new owners will be even more successful.”
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