Weekender: New venue readying for opening date
The Box Leeds will open its doors a week today, promising food, drink, party and gaming experiences for customers.
A big sister to the original and iconic Headingley venue, The Box Leeds will be housed in the space formerly occupied by 53 Degrees North on the corner of Infirmary Street.
The Box Leeds will reside over two floors, and is part of a £1.4m investment, bringing Arc Inspirations thriving stable of bars to 18, which includes Banyan Bar & Kitchen and Manahatta.
There will be an exclusive Shuffle-Box area, with two full-size, 21-foot Maplewood European shuffleboard tables. Sports and entertainment fans won’t miss a second of any major games, as multiple HD widescreen TVs will be hung throughout the bar.
The Strong Room can seat up to 40 guests and includes its own electronic dart board, whilst The Vault in the building’s basement will be an exclusive private bar that can comfortably accommodate up to 60 guests. Each of these rooms will be available for private bookings and offer the perfect space for key events, birthday celebrations, corporate entertaining, and other special occasions.
Come Thursday night, The Box will switch to party mode, with DJs setting the soundtrack in the upstairs bar until late, right across the weekend. An Après ski band will also be on heavy rotation, to play rousing live sets of party-centric tunes.
The bar is also set to feature Leeds’ first Budvar tank beer, which allows guests to enjoy unpasteurised, brewery-fresh beer each and every time they visit, direct from the beer’s brewery home in the Czech Republic.
There will also be a wide selection of craft beers and ciders – sourced from across Leeds, Yorkshire and the world, while cocktail lovers will be able to enjoy a new outstanding range of craft, draught pours straight from the taps.
A lip-smacking selection of food dishes from the bar’s brand-new, street food-inspired menu are based on premium ingredients sourced both locally, and internationally. A range of Napoli pizzas will be available, made using the finest double fermented dough, and topped with ingredients such as San Manzano tomatoes, which are grown in the volcanic soil surrounding Mount Vesuvius. Fresh Fior di Latte mozzarella made from cow’s milk will be imported from Italy.
The Box will be the very first in the UK to use an imported Morello Forni rotating bed pizza oven, serving up the perfect Napoli pizza.
Busy workers in the local area will be able to take advantage of the ‘Box Grab n Go’ concept during the week, which allows customers to pre-order food and drop by to pick up at a time that suits them, throughout the day.
Arc Inspirations CEO, Martin Wolstencroft, said: “We’re really excited to be bringing the Box to this prime spot in the centre of Leeds, what for us will be the pinnacle of quality experiences and a hub for exceptional entertainment. We wanted to bring something unique to the area and create a buzz for those seeking excellent craft beers and cocktails, great food, unrivalled service and ultimately – almost importantly – a fun time.
“It’s the culmination of many ideas all housed under one roof and we’ve been waiting a long time for the right space to unveil what’s a new flagship venue for us. We’re delighted with the final results and can’t wait to open our doors in September.”
The Box Leeds launches on Friday 14 September at 12 noon.
