A huge retro games bar is set to open its doors later this year in Stockport town centre. Spread over two floors, Glitch will offer both retro arcade games and entertainment for modern gamers.
Located on Princes Street, the venue occupies the former Mama Sanctuary spa and will sit opposite the Redrock entertainment complex. The nostalgia-filled concept comes Amy Fletcher and her partner Joseph Patten - the latter operates a number of bars and live music venues in the town including The Glass Spider, Cracked Actor and Dr Feelgood.
Joseph Patten told the Manchester Evening News : “We took the keys for number 1 Princes Street in Stockport, opposite Redrock back in June, and have been working relentlessly ever since every evening after work to get this place ready and back to a big open space. The unit itself is over two floors and even features the original parquet flooring which we found underneath two layers of floor.
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"We believe it's the next big push needed to bring immersive interactive bars to Stockport, in the same way they do in the cities. It's a chance to provide more than just a sit down with a beer, people want more of an experience when they hit the town now. GLITCH provides that.
"It's a hit of nostalgia like a interactive museum for vintage arcade lovers, whilst also offering the look into the future with all the latest consoles for groups to book out. I think it's the perfect time of year to be opening with Christmas around the corner.
"And it's going to change to change the lay of the land massively for more bars of this type to invest in Stockport Town centre. It's certainly the first of its kind in Stockport but its where the bar world is heading."
To bring his vision to life, Patten has sourced original arcade games from America including Space Invaders, Pac Man and Donkey Kong. Ramping up the nostalgia, visitors will be able to pay for games using old-school tokens bought at the bar.
On the other side of the bar, modern gamers will be catered for with 11 gaming booths, fitted out with 40 inch screens, which can be booked out by the hour. There will also be an Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, SEGA Mega, and Nintendo 64.
Upstairs, Patten and the team are working on creating a Star Wars duelling room where visitors can rent light sabers - though this may launch at a later date to the overall bar.
On the drinks side, the bar will be heavily focused on games-themed cocktails, and there will also be a collaboration with Siren Brewery on the beers - a drinks partner Patten has worked with on his other bars in Stockport.
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