Bar frequented by Manchester rock stars on market for £4m

A MANCHESTER bar frequented by Liam Gallagher and Happy Mondays front man Shaun Ryder in their pomp is on the market for £4m.

The Dry Bar on Oldham Street has been put up for sale with planning permission to turn the upper floors into a hotel.

The property, opened in 1989 by Factory Records, includes the ground floor bar, and consent for 69 bedrooms.

Auction house Christie and Co says the business has a current turnover of £1.3m

Ryan Lynn, from Christie’s Manchester office, told The Manchester Evening News the Dwyer family who now own the business had decided to sell up after gaining planning permission for the hotel development last year.

“The family are not hoteliers, they are more bar operators,” he said.

“The market is really strong now for hotels so they decided it is the right time to sell up.”

According to planning documentation, the upper storeys are currently disused and in a poor state of repair.

Lynn said the bar was still very profitable, but whether it will remain as Dry Bar would be a decision for the buyer.

 “Manchester is seen as the second city outside London and there’s always going to be a need for rooms and hotels of different levels,” he said.