Living Ventures boss to open new bar

LEISURE veteran Tim Bacon has joined forces once again with Chester-based entrepreneur Dave Hinds and former Living Ventures bar expert Lee Lynch to open a new bar in Manchester city centre.

The team first brought the split-level JW Johnsons restaurant and bar to Manchester in the 90s and have reunited to bring Red Door to the exact location on Deansgate in Manchester, underneath The Botanist.  

The Red Door bar will undergo a £350,000 refurbishment before opening in June 2016, when it will be open from 8pm until 2am every night.

Occupying 2,800 sq ft with a capacity of 250,  the opening will create 20 jobs. It is the third site for the brand, which is already in Liverpool and Chester.

Bacon and Hinds’ business relationship stretches back to the early 90s when they set up JW Johnsons, followed  by Via Vita and Life Café across the UK, at which time they were joined by business partner Jeremy Roberts.  

Those venues were sold to Whitbread in 1999 after which Dave Hinds decided to concentrate on his property interests, leaving Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts to establish Living Ventures.

Managing director Lee Lynch said: “Following the huge success of our venues in Chester and Liverpool, we are delighted to bring Red Door to Manchester, our intention is to make it one of the best bars around, with highly trained bar-tenders and live music.  

“It will hopefully make a significant contribution to the return of a positive and thriving bar scene at that end of Deansgate.”