Arc to launch Manahatta in Newcastle

Bar operator Arc Inspirations is set to expand its portfolio of premium venues with its biggest ever development, having secured approval to launch a £2.5m Manahatta bar in Newcastle.

The venue will be the eighth Manahatta in the expanding Arc Inspirations portfolio, which also include brands BOX and Banyan Bar & Kitchen.

Situated on the site of a former Allied Irish Bank, which has been vacant for 10 years, approval for the investment by Newcastle City Council is particularly noteworthy as the granting of new licences in the town is rare. 

The company had to demonstrate its status as a safe operator in order to overcome significant opposition, due to Newcastle’s established cumulative impact policy and the location of the proposed bar in a designated ‘stress’ area. 

The scale of the development of the Grade II-listed building on Collingwood Street means it is the largest investment in the group’s history.  With a capacity for 500 guests, the project will create nearly 100 new jobs in the city.

"We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing our Manahatta brand to Newcastle," says Arc Inspirations co-founder and CEO Martin Wolstencroft. "We love the city and can’t wait to open what will be our second venue here, after Banyan. It’s an extremely challenging and rigorous process to win the necessary approvals here, so to do so is a tremendous reflection on the quality of our business, our people and our operations.”

Other Manahatta locations include Leeds, Manchester, York, Harrogate and most recently, Birmingham, which opened six months ago. The group currently operates a total of 18 bars under its three brands.

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