Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West
A Liverpool gaming bar has invested £100,000 in the Hanover Street site ahead of reopening next week (August 27).
Roxy Liverpool Hanover Street boasts a fresh new look and a unique collection of games not found at any other Roxy in the UK, following a transformation that includes new flooring and an array of funky graffiti throughout the venue from the genius creative mind of artist Eject.
The over 18’s-only booze and ball games bar originally opened back in 2016 and was the first Roxy Leisure venue outside Yorkshire.
Located in the trendy Liverpool One district, the bar is in the very heart of the city’s buzzing nightlife scene and quickly picked up a cult following.
However, like so many plans in 2020, the refurbishment took far longer than expected due to the pandemic, but the owners say the results make it well worth the wait.
The new-look venue will be kitted out with Olympic-standard butterfly ping pong tables, full-length 18-foot shuffleboard tables and beer pong battle stations.
It is also proud to be the first venue to offer Crazy Pool, an extremely playable mash-up of crazy golf and pool. Players must navigate a variety of obstacles to pot the ball on a waist-high mini-golf course, using a pool cue instead of a putter.
In this post-COVID world, the entrance to the bar will feature a sanitising station where visitors will be required to clean their hands before being seated at their table.
Ordering and paying for food and drink can be done by scanning the QR code, or by asking a server who will bring the order straight to the table. All gaming areas, machines and tables will be thoroughly cleaned after each booking and hand sanitiser will be dotted throughout the venue.
Disposable gloves will be available on request for anyone wanting extra peace of mind.
Roxy brand development manager, Joel Mitchell, said: “We were gutted when lockdown meant postponing the Roxy Liverpool Hanover St re-launch, however, it has allowed us to make our offering even bigger and better than originally planned.
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A Lancashire wedding venue forced to close its doors during lockdown has secured £50,000 funding from Barclays via the BBLS (Bounce Back Loan Scheme), the Government-backed loan scheme.
The finance has ensured the business remained viable during following a difficult time for the whole hospitality industry.
Alkincoats is a subsidiary of Browsholme Hall, a landed estate set in the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Browsholme Hall has been the home of the Parker Family since 1507.
In 2010, the family diversified into a high-end wedding/corporate hospitality venue with luxury ‘glamping’ accommodation, but, following lockdown on March 23, the business was forced to close its doors resulting in the loss of income stream from Alkincoats.
The majority of the group’s staff were furloughed, however, the business has had to retain a skeleton team to ensure the grounds remain secure and well maintained as well as continuing to service the costs of running the various building across the estate.
Amanda Parker said: “This has been an unparalleled time for our industry, but we now have the confidence to get through the challenges of lockdown whilst keeping the business ticking over and protecting our staff and supply chain.
“We look forward to welcoming guests back to the estate. Micro-weddings are now providing the opportunity for couples to concentrate on the people who are most important to them. Browsholme has the perfect setting for these smaller events and we’ve seen an upsurge in enquiries since restrictions were relaxed.”
Barclays relationship manager, Wayne Ellison, said: “Over the last 10 years Amanda and the team have built up an extraordinary business. Their growing success is reflected by their popularity and positive reviews.
“When the business was impacted our understanding of the customer and our long-standing relationship with its owners made a huge difference. This meant securing jobs within the local community, providing vital liquidity to the business and, ultimately, protecting the short- and long-term prospects for this much-cherished venue, a jewel in the crown for the area.”
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Tony Douglas
An Oldham-based manufacturer is helping businesses get back on track after COVID-19 disruption through innovative product development in collaboration with GC Business Growth Hub.
Rotational Bespoke Manufacturing (RBMUK) has adapted two of its existing products to provide protective barriers and hand-sanitising stations for industry to reduce the risk of cross-contamination in workplaces and offer businesses a blueprint for safely returning to work.
Like many SMEs across the region, RBMUK was forced to radically scale back its operation in March when the Government issued wide-ranging restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 across the country.
Having recently concluded its fifth and most successful financial year in February 2020, RBMUK saw major orders cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak and was forced to furlough the majority of its staff, weathering a significant operating loss in March.
Having benefited from a broad range of Hub support services over the past three years, RBMUK’s director, Tony Douglas, was quick to reach out to manufacturing advisor Martin Hyman. They identified an opportunity to adapt one of RBMUK’s existing moulded products into a protective screening solution for enforcing social distancing within workplaces.
Following a surge in public sector orders for the company’s pyramid barrier system, RBMUK is now returning to full operational capacity and welcomed back its remaining furloughed employees in June.
Tony Douglas said: “We’re extremely grateful for the support provided by the Hub during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and, indeed, over the past three years. Having an advisor and team on hand who really understand our business – as well as the wider manufacturing industry – has been invaluable in helping us get our business back on track.”
